Remembrances
by Byte09
Summary: It's the story of Byte, the younger sister of Mega, close friend of Java & Siva, and the person who started "The Game". As a teenager in the city, she learns what it truly means to grow up. Set during Tribe 4 and kind of an AU. Please read and review!
1. Reality

She gasped for air, desperate for that tiny ounce that would give her just a little bit more strength to fight back. She felt his hot hand press harder against her neck. "Dammit," she muttered lightly. There was no way he was going to win this one. The reality space visor was just put on her and to lose this quickly? No way, that wasn't her nature.

Byte was this girl's name, the determined one that was just mentioned. She was the Lieutenant of the Technos. This type of stuff, as in fighting in Reality Space, was usually meant for either virts or Privates. Why was she doing it? Oddly enough she didn't know. All she knew is that Ram specifically chose her to do this assignment and what Ram wanted, he got. Even Java, couldn't get her out of this mess. Oh well, it was all part of the job right?

Her eyes were usually described as magnetic. The almond shape and the grey-green irises drew others to her but her temper usually pushed them away. The combination of those eyes, a light brown mane, her set of sultry lips, caramel colored skin, and an athletic build deemed her as one of the three Techno beauties. Though she was not one of Ram's wives, she managed to weasel her way out of wearing the masculine Techno uniform. In its place, she wore the outfit that Java and Siva wore. It was the tight fitting lycra top with the segmented sleeves, also known as the sexier and more feminine version of the uniforms. This of course attracted the attention of most of the Technos…and some virts, much to the dislike of Java and Mega. They were protective of her even when she thought she didn't need their input.

Before the virus hit, Java and Siva watched Byte as a child. In short, they were her babysitters. She seemed to attach herself more to the older one of the two. It always seemed that she understood her more than anyone else, even more her parents and her brothers, Mega/Josh and Ron. Java actually saw herself in Byte and perhaps it was the reason why she took the kid under her wing right when the virus took over.

At six years old, Byte joined the Locusts with Java, Siva, and Ebony. Mega and Byte separated after Ron disappeared. In her time of being a Loco, she met a boy about her age, Max. They were playmates for a short while before Java, Siva and herself were sentenced to death. They managed to escape though and that's when the three of them met Ram. Java and Siva married him while she was allowed to work for them as the youngest member of the Technos. By the time she was thirteen, she achieved very high rankings as an officer and by this time she had been reunited with Mega/Josh and Max.

Now she and Max had history. The two both developed a liking for one another and once the two reached fourteen, they began their relationship. She was just made Lieutenant and he was only a Cadet. This did not sit well with Java, Mega and Jay. Siva on the other hand was quite indifferent to the whole thing. Hey, at least they got half a vote.

Byte watched as the man's face inched closer towards hers. It was close enough that she could feel his slow yet shaky breaths hit her lips. She began to think that the whole thing was real until she heard the prolonged buzzing made by the Reality Space visor. "You alright there, sweet pea?" he asked condescendingly.

"Just fine," she managed to say. She gritted her teeth while she looked at him in the eyes. "You're not winning this time," she growled. Suddenly she banged her forehead against his nose; it instantly caused the man to release his grip from her neck. She inhaled deeply. "I want out, please." Everything darkened quickly and finally she found herself staring at the glossy screen of the visor. She felt someone take off the visor with Jay towering over her.

"You okay, kid?" Jay asked with a slight smile growing on his face. He was holding the reality space visor as Ved took off the straps that held her down.

Byte smirked and stood up. Her legs felt weak but she figured that the feeling would simply go away once she started walking. "Yeah, I'm just dandy," she retorted as she walked out of the black room. She saw Ram typing away at his laptop and figured she'd give him a piece of her mind. It was probably one of the biggest mistakes Byte would ever make. "Ram, do you mind telling me what that was all about? I could have died back there while you sit on your-"

"Byte! How dare you to speak to your leader like that!" Ram barked back angrily then calmed down after a moment or two.

"I only want it to seem real, real enough for the virts. See they're going to participate in a game, a game involving two teams: the red and blue team. The things they feel, see, hear, smell, and taste will seem real in the game but in reality, nothing comes to harm them. See this is just another way to win them over, Byte, and you were just my guinea pig for this project. Before we start this game for the virts, I want you to participate in a show of your own. I'll just tell you about it later, you're excused. " He grinned for a moment then grabbed her hand. "Remember Byte, you know I wouldn't let any harm come to you."

"Yes, Ram," she sighed. As nicely as she could, she let go of his hand so she could leave. She walked hastily down the red painted halls. She came to a stop as Java strolled up to her with a nicely wrapped box in her hands.

"You alright? Looks like you just saw a ghost," Java smirked. She stood there idly and tapped her hands on the present. The present was for the Mallrats, to Salene specifically. Was she going to deliver this to them? Hah. Get real. There was no way she'd be going out of her way for those virts. They didn't deserve her time and besides, she had a whole list of things to do.

Byte shook her head and sighed. "I'm just fine, thank you," she replied.

Java shrugged carelessly then handed the box to her. "Go get some fresh air and while you do that, take this to the Mallrats. It's for Salene." She looked at Byte and sensed the reluctance. "Go on…it's not a bomb or anything," she said.

She grabbed the box from Java. "Oh fine. You really couldn't get the guards to do it?"

"Nope. "

Byte looked down at the purple box and shook it slightly. After a couple seconds, she began her way out of the hotel.

"I'll be sure to give Max my compliments. I was surprised at his fighting," Java said loudly just as the girl left.

Byte stopped suddenly and turned back to her. "That was him?" she asked.

Java nodded then gave Byte that infamous smirk of hers, "That's what I said when I saw it."

Byte shrugged nonchalantly and turned back the other way to head toward the mall. Max surprised her. To move swiftly and powerfully in Reality Space took talent. A person had to have a brilliant mind to fight in such a world. They had to be quick to retaliate. In other words, fighting in Reality Space was more of a strategy game than any other physical activity. Maybe that was the reason why Ram was so passionate about the system; maybe this was his way to escape his hindrances in the real world. Whatever it was, she was still apprehensive about the whole thing. The system had yet to be perfected and if one thing went wrong she could be deleted.


	2. Fight

Virts, she hated virts. She didn't have the patience for them, nor did she give them the time of day. If she was approached by one of them she'd most likely have her guards deal with them. It may have seemed rude but Byte was a part of the Technos, an integral part of the tribe to say the least.

Upon entering the mall, Byte carefully stepped into the entrance. She noticed the various forms of graffiti plastered on the walls and then the giant phoenix statue in the middle of the mall. She tied her wavy, dark brown hair up into a neat pony tail as her grey eyes looked into the mall for Salene, some red haired chick with a mother-hen attitude. She stared down at the ground for a moment then looked back up to see a small girl staring back at her. The little girl looked familiar to her. She thought she'd seen her tagging along with Salene once or twice before.

"You're Mouse, aren't you?" Byte asked, carefully approaching the girl so as not to startle her.

However, Mouse wasn't scared of Byte. She figured that if anything were to happen, she could just scream. "Yes…I am," the little girl replied and stared at Byte awkwardly. "You're a Techno, right?"

"Yes, I am. Now could you go on and get Salene for me?"

Mouse looked up at Byte once more. This Techno didn't seem scary like the others. Perhaps it was because she wasn't as old or as ferocious as Java. "If you're a Techno…and you're a girl, then why aren't you one of Ram's wives?"

"I'm too young for him," she replied, slightly annoyed. The only thing keeping her from biting the kid's head off was the fact that Byte was once a curious kid like Mouse.

"How old are you?" she asked fearlessly.

Byte looked down at the little girl. The annoyance was clearly expressed in her face. "Sixteen, now go!" she said loudly.

Mouse's eyes widened. Now she knew that the Techno meant business just by the tone in her voice and within a few moments, the City Leader was standing in front of Byte looking less than enthused. She didn't even have to call for Salene, she just showed up.

Byte looked at the woman for a moment and raised a brow. _"Are you serious? This is who they chose to represent the virts?" _she thought. "What do you want?" Byte heard her ask. She smirked then nonchalantly tapped her hands on the box. "Don't worry, I'm not here for anyone. Ram just wanted me to deliver this to you."

"What's in it?"

Byte shook her head and shoved the box toward her. She began to go back in the direction of the hotel. "What is it with virts and questions?" she muttered under her breath.

Back at the hotel, Java stood idly in her room. She starred out her window to make sure there weren't any virt-related discrepancies outside. There weren't any. She heard her door creak and looked to see who it was. It was Byte. _"The kid looks upset," _she thought. Java figured that it may have been caused by the visit to the Mallrats or the game. It had to be the latter. Virts usually didn't bother the kid. "Byte…you sure you're okay? Max didn't hurt you did he?" she asked. Her concern for the kid had to be diluted. She simply did not want to seem overbearing and overprotective of the girl. She kept a nonchalant expression on her face as she asked the girl that question. More so, she even continued staring out the window.

Java did a poor job of hiding it because Byte saw right through her. "I'm fine…what is it with you today?" she asked.

If anyone else had asked her such a question the way Byte just did, she'd have them punished. Byte just happened to be her closest friend so the manner in which she spoke didn't irk her. Before replying though, she turned back to the girl. "Nothing's wrong with me. I'm just concerned that the game might have a few bugs in it for the virts," she said defensively.

"So you're concerned as to whether or not they get hurt?" Byte asked. "I didn't know you had a heart."

Java scoffed before taking a seat in a black leather chair across from the girl. "You see, if one virt dies in the game then it's over, tribes would be after us. If they play and don't get hurt, they'll feel invincible. Trust me on this one, kid. Pretty soon we'll have the virts eating right out of our hands. But as far as today went we just wanted to see how far we could take it. When we tested on you, Byte, we actually turned some of the safeties off."

"'How far you could take it?' What do you mean?" Byte asked.

"Only a percentage of what you feel in Reality Space corresponds to what is actually happening in real life. Say if I punch you in the face, you would definitely feel the blow in reality space but you wouldn't really feel the pain and after effects in real life. But if I started punching repeatedly, you'd start feeling the effects in both worlds," she patiently explained.

"But why me? Why did I have to be the one testing this out?" Byte asked and crossed her legs. "Why couldn't you guys pick out a virt like Lex?"

"Lex, like the rest of them, is weak. Come on, he can't handle it like you can. You've been trained and he hasn't. Of course, of course we only wanted to test on the best of the best."

Meanwhile, Lex pressed his lips against Siva's and grinned from ear to ear. His face clearly expressed his current happiness with this woman. He loved her and it was obvious. Ever since Tai-San had gone missing, no one had ever seen him happier. "Do you have to go?" he asked before kissing her on the forehead.

Siva rested her head on his body with a sigh, "Yes I do, unfortunately." She really had to leave for she had been gone for at least two hours now. By this time Ram would already be asking for her, especially since she claimed she had another "headache".

"Just stay for a couple more minutes." Lex protested.

Siva got up and wrapped a white sheet around her slender body. "Sorry, honey," she said. She went to the very back of the apartment to put her clothes back on. Afterwards, she turned back around to find that Lex was gone. "Where'd he go?" she asked herself while he stood right behind her, out of sight. He wrapped his arms around her quickly as she screamed and gently threw her on the bed then kissed her, "Lex, I really have to go."

"Now will you go?" he whispered in her ear.

Siva smiled and finally gave into his plea. "I can spare a few minutes." she said.

Back at the hotel, Byte walked down the halls as a way to keep her busy. She spotted Mega, who then spotted her. He gave her a slight smile while she gave him a smirk.

"Aw c'mon, Byte. Don't be like that," he said. After noticing that Byte was really up to nothing, he decided he'd drag her to the courtyard. He felt that the kid needed a break and he just wanted someone to walk with. "Talk to me. What's up?" he said as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

"Mega, I don't know what to do about this game thing. I'm scared that something will go seriously wrong," she sighed. "I spoke to Java earlier and all she said was that we'd have total control over the virts if the game happens."

He shook his head slightly. "The game _is _going to happen. We've got all the safeties in check so the only thing anybody has to worry about is performing well. You know I wouldn't let anything happen to you, Byte. Ram knows what he's doing, trust him. If not, trust me."

After a few minutes, the two of them came to a stop in the courtyard. Here was the pool and here was the bar. Now if memory served her right, ever since her fourteenth birthday she was allowed to drink. An informal rule made up by both Java and Mega allowed her to do so.

"Alright, sis, I have to go. I just thought you could use a drink after what you did this morning." He looked over to the bartender and leaned towards him. "Don't let her have anymore," he whispered. He looked back to her and brought out a starter drink for her, a mimosa.

Byte sat down on a lawn chair and began to sip on the sweet cocktail. She leaned back, enjoying the sun and the quiet environment around her. She needed to take her mind off Reality Space for a bit and this was the best way to do it.

Two boys watched her from the bushes. How they got past security was a mystery. They were part of the Aphasias and their names were Sam and Quaid. Now what were they doing there? That was a mystery as well. "Hey do you wanna get her or should I?" Quaid asked. He was the older and much stronger one of the two. Sam was a different story. He was younger but much smarter. Well…to Byte, smarter for virts just meant that they were less stupid.

"You go," Sam replied. He peered out from the bushes and confidently looked to his friend. The moment was just right. The girl was alone and the guards were far away enough so they could get an attack in. "It's show time," he grinned. He watched Quaid quietly climb over the bushes and stealthily sneak up behind the girl.

Quaid crossed his arms as he towered over her. He smirked slightly before he spoke. "Come for a dip?" he finally said.

Byte's eyes widened. She couldn't believe this was happening now of all times…on the one day she wasn't working. She stood up quickly and faced the guy who just spoke to her. "What are you doing here?" she asked, demanding an answer. Before she could call over some guards, the guy landed a punch in her stomach which caused her to falter. He tried doing it again but this time she caught his fist and twisted it hard. It made a sickening "crack" as she did so.

"No!" Sam yelled. Quaid deviated the plan. Originally they were just supposed to attack her from behind instead of making a show of jumped out of the bushes and grabbed the girl from behind. He held her so that his partner could get a nice headshot in.

Byte saw his fist coming towards her face and at the last moment she moved her head out of the way. Now instead of a headshot for Byte, it was given to Sam. She was released from Sam's grip.

It was now time for them to have a taste of their own medicine. Just as Sam was brought to his knees she grabbed him by the hair and slammed him face first against the metal frame of the chair.

Quaid tried to hit the girl once more but he missed and Byte got a grip on his arm. She twisted it and folded it behind against his back. The boy was then brought to his knees. She then pushed him down on the ground so that he was on his stomach.

This position was short lived though. Sam got up quickly after remaining on the ground for some time. He came at her and tackled her to the ground. The two of them weren't on the ground for too long. Byte got to her feet quickly and stood in front of the two boys.

Ram came out of the building, along with Java and Jay. "Jay, Java, stop this," he commanded upon seeing Byte and the two other boys.

Just as the two sides were about to attack Jay got right in the middle and blocked both sides from attacking. Java grabbed Byte by the arm quickly while Jay and a guard detained the boys. "Stop, kid. You'll only make things worse," Java muttered, her grip on the girl's arm tightening.

Jay ran out to the fight and quickly grabbed both boys by the arm, "You, virt!" he yelled. "What's the meaning of this?" he asked and gave a hard look at the both of them.

Quaid glared at Byte then gritted his teeth, "She knows damn well."

"Yeah, she would know. Why don't you ask the Lieutenant?" Sam asked sheepishly.

"Why don't we just delete them both?" Byte asked, already getting her phaser ready.

Jay looked back at her, "Byte, you mind telling me what this is all about?"

Byte clenched her fists then sighed. "I do mind," she muttered angrily then stormed back into the hotel.

Java looked back at Byte then furrowed her brows, not understanding what got her so mad. "I'll get her," she said to Jay then followed after her.

"Byte!" Java called. The kid didn't turn around. "Hey!" she yelled, now stopping the girl in her tracks. "Mind telling me what that was all about, now that you're not in front of the boys?" she asked as she caught up to her.

She crossed her arms then leaned against the wall and gave a sigh. "Back when we joined up with the Technos, I did something to the Aphasias," she began, "long story short, I actually disbanded them by taking the leader to the virt camps. He's back though and he's craving revenge."

Jay walked back in the hotel and found the two girls. "I let them go," he said, slowly approaching the girls.

Byte shook her head as she shot a look at Jay. "You let them go?" she asked angrily.

"Yes. Is there anything wrong with that?"

"Yeah, there is. They're going to be back, Jay, and god knows what they'll do next. We should've deleted them when we had the chance."

"The girl's got a point," Java said before glancing at Jay.

He sighed softly then placed a hand on Byte's shoulder, "Alright fine, we'll have an extra guard standing by."

"I don't think that's gonna do," Java interrupted then leaned against Byte, "Why don't Byte, Siva, myself, and a few guards pay a visit to the Aphasias?"

"And what are you guys going to do there?"

Byte smiled slightly after hearing Java's suggestion. She couldn't agree with her more. What Java usually meant by "taking care of business" was that she'd deal with them her way. Her way was usually a method of negotiating that would make the mafia jealous. "Do business ourselves," she replied. Java nodded in agreement.

"You guys can go ahead and do that. But remember, we're trying to befriend these people...so keep the fighting to a minimum."

"Oh, we'll definitely keep the fighting to a minimum," Java smirked.

"General, Commander Java, Lieutenant Byte, Lord Ram would like to see you," a guard called out.

The three turned to the guard and were quick to follow. Upon entering the computer room Java took her place next to Ram as the other two stood in front of them

"Yes Ram?" Jay said.

Ram turned around and shot a glare at Byte. "You go and fight the people we are trying to befriend."

"They attacked me first, what was I supposed to do?"

"You were there, weren't you, Siva?" he asked after seeing Siva walk through the door.

Byte looked over to Siva and gestured to her as if to say, "Come on and cut me some slack."

Siva saw Byte's signal and nodded. "Yeah, they provoked the fight."

Ram sighed. "If that's all they did, fine. But let this be a warning to you, Byte, the next time you cause a discrepancy amongst our soon-to-be allies, you're gonna pay for it. Got that?"

"Yes, Ram," she replied quietly.


	3. Secret

Byte looked out her window with a slight smirk on her face. She sighed slightly as she grew bored of what she saw: the blue skies filled with the white smoke from the fighter planes. After a moment or two, she headed over to her radio. It was a silver, black and red radio…compliments of the Technos. She smiled slightly as she turned it on and the CD began to play.

_"Welcome to the jungle, we got fun and games,"_ the stereo yelled. She took a seat on her bed and flipped through a magazine fairly quickly. She sighed slightly, growing bored of whatever she was looking at. The pictures were all the same and the articles were nothing but a bunch of words that simply turned into noise once read. Suddenly, she heard a faint knock. "What," she called out with a sigh.

"It's Siva."

Byte opened the door for her and smirked. "What is it?" she asked. After Siva walked in, she closed the door behind her. "Come to talk?"

"Yes." Siva looked at her apprehensively and sat down next to her, "You have to promise not to tell anyone."

Byte shook her head. "I'll only promise if we have a deal. You tell me whatever it is that's on your mind, but then you do something for me. Is that fair enough?"

"Sure, but it better not be anything stupid."

Byte smirked as a chuckle escaped from her lips. "No it won't be. I can make sure of that."

"Fine, what I wanted to tell you is that," she paused for a moment, somewhat reluctant to tell Byte. "I'm seeing a virt…well Lex."

She glanced at Siva. She wasn't surprised at all due to the fact that Siva didn't hide it very well. Headaches and illness could only last the girl so long until someone caught on. Although she was disappointed, she couldn't deny that she was scared for Siva. If Ram found out…God knows what he'd do to her. She looked at her blankly and smirked. "I know," she finally muttered.

Siva was taken aback. _"How did Byte know? Was I really that obvious?"_ she thought. "How'd you know? Please tell me no one else knows," she finally said.

"Siv, it's only obvious. Every time you fake something, I can see right through it. Remember, I've known you for quite a while and Java has too. You need to be careful about it. I can tell you right here right now that people are growing suspicious, especially your sister. Good news is Ram's clueless."

She nodded then sighed. "Alright, now what can I do for you?"

Byte shrugged then laughed. "I was just joking, Siv. Just be careful out there; you never know about these virts…and Ram."

"I'll be careful, don't worry. Besides, shouldn't I be telling you that? You are like my little sister after all."

"Okay, now get out of my room." Byte sighed softly as she opened the door for her. She smiled slightly then shook her head, "See you later, big sis."

_**Flashback**_

"Leave Robert! Go ahead and leave, I don't care for you anymore! Get out of my house!" Byte's mother, Jane, yelled. Her fiery red colored hair now reflected the anger she emitted. She glared at the small girl in the corner of the kitchen then threw a plate at Robert.

"Go ahead and take that adopted little bitch with you!" Jane screamed. She grabbed Byte by the wrist and glared at her, her face twisted with anger. "I don't want you anymore. I didn't even want you in the first place. I was supposed to have a real baby of my own! And you took that away from me! Go on, leave. See if your real mother will take you back!"

Byte stared up at Jane, trying to absorb the information. For a five year old, that was a lot of info. Her soft grey eyes began to well up with tears and she began to cry. She tore away from Jane and ran out of the house to catch up with Robert, who was already in his black Jeep. She climbed up the bumper and tried to hang on as he started the car. She watched him come out of the car and finally he pried her away from the car. He knelt down and held the small girl. "You have to stay here…she needs you…" she heard him say. She refused to believe him though. Once he tore away from her she was left alone on the driveway.

"Daddy come back! I promise I'll be a good girl, just take me with you! I promise daddy, I promise!" she yelled. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she watched the black Jeep make its way down the street. She wanted to run after him but she knew he'd take her right back to her so-called mother. "Daddy!" she wailed, begging for him to return. She collapsed on the hard concrete of the driveway and cried. She glanced at her surroundings and found the front door shut. She hugged her knees as she continued to cry.

From afar, Siva witnessed the whole thing. She heard what Jane said to the small girl and watched that father just leave her. She looked over to her and found that the girl reminded her of someone close to her. Therefore, she didn't hesitate to walk up to the kid. Besides she figured that Jane wouldn't be coming out any time soon to take the girl back. She bravely walked over and sat down next to the girl. "You alright, kiddo?" she asked.

Byte looked up at Siva, sniffling as her eyes were red and puffy from the crying. "No one wants me."

Siva sighed and pulled Byte on to her lap. "No…don't say that. I'm sure things will get better."

"My real mommy didn't want me…this one doesn't want me either," she said quietly. "Was I bad?" she asked as she looked up at Siva.

"No…I think your real mommy just wanted a better life for you that's all. You're a good kid, Byte." She looked down at the kid and sighed softly. The way these people treated this girl just made her angry. Byte didn't deserve what these people did to her; she didn't deserve to be yelled at or left to fend for herself. She looked up at Byte's house and found Jane staring at her with a lit cigarette in her hand. Jane whipped the curtains shut and walked out of the room. This was her queue to finally say something to Jane. "Just remember, Byte, there are good people in the world that will take care of you."

_**End of Flashback**_

Byte got up from her bed after a few moments and walked out into the hall way. She spotted Max standing at the end of the hall. He had thick, wavy, light brown hair that was styled in such a way so that some of it came over his eyes while the rest layered over each other. He looked to be about her age, maybe a year or two older. He peered over at her with deep set green eyes just as a smile grew over his face with a dimple at the corner of his mouth creasing.

But just as he was about to walk over, Java stepped right out in front of him. "Byte! Ram wants to see you, kid." she called out then moved in front of her. She paused for a moment and caught Byte staring at the guy behind her. "You, Cadet, get outta here." Java said to him and he left.

"Java…" Byte whined.

"Sorry kid, work before play." She laughed as she guided Byte down the halls, sneaking a glare at the guy as they passed.

"So what did Ram-" Byte looked around for a moment and figured that this was yet another ploy from Java just to get her alone.

Java took a seat on one of the random chairs out in the hallway and sighed. "Okay, kid. I have to come right out and ask you something."

"No Java, I'm not gonna marry you." Byte replied sarcastically.

She glared at Byte then smiled slightly, surprisingly finding her little joke funny. "I just wanted to ask you if you knew something about Siva."

"What do you mean?"

"Well for one, she's nowhere to be found and if we ever see her, she's distracted with something else. Do you know what's up? I mean…do you know what she's been doing?"

Byte sat down next to Java and smirked. "Yeah, I do. I can tell you who she's been _doing_ actually. You have to keep it discreet though. She doesn't want anyone knowing."

Java raised a brow then folded her hands in her lap, "Alright fine. Who is she seeing?"

"Sheriff boy Lex."

"And how do you know this, miss?"

Byte smiled and shrugged. "I have my own ways of snooping."


	4. Purple

Byte tossed and turned under the dark grey colored sheets. The sun was already beating down on her which caused a slight "glistening" on her skin. This of course didn't faze her at all since she was known to be a bit of a deep sleeper. Apart from this, she talked in her sleep. She muttered incoherent things that ranged from anger to just plain silliness.

"Get off me before I make you," she murmured and furrowed her eyebrows. She sniffled and shook her head slightly. "Mr. Elephant, you bastard. Don't sit on…"she whispered.

Java peered into Byte's room and spotted the sleep-talking girl. This talking isn't what woke her up though. About five minutes before Byte started to talk, the girl actually had punched the wall. Although Java felt angry at first, she figured she couldn't really blame the kid. Sleep talking and punching couldn't be stopped. She closed the door behind her and took a seat on her bed, staring at her slightly. "Please don't what now?" she said loudly in an attempt to wake Byte up. She failed. Java thought about what to do for a second then grinned as she found an idea.

Java jumped up on to the bed then placed her hands against her arms for a second. They were cold as ice at this point. She tried hard not to laugh as she placed her hands near Byte's neck. Suddenly, she pressed her hands against the side of her neck while yelling, "Cold hands! Cold hands!"

Byte woke suddenly, feeling as though she was having a mini heart attack. When she found Java sitting on her bed, she glared at her angrily. "I was sleeping ya know."

"So was I, until I heard your racket." She replied, a bit annoyed as well. "What were you dreaming about anyway?"

Byte shook her head with a shrug, "Nothing."

Java grinned then laid down on the edge of her bed, "I'm sure Mr. Elephant won't like that very much."

Byte shot a look at her and shook her head. She got out of bed in a pair of grey pajama pants and a black fitted shirt then headed into the bathroom to change into the usual black, fitted lycra top with the segmented sleeves, black pants, seatbelt-belt, the whole shebang. She began applying her make-up and saw that Java was now asleep, her black and purple braids sprawled around her. Some green eye shadow, some black eyeliner, and viola she was finished. She looked back at Java and found that she was still asleep…on her bed. Soon enough, she grabbed a dark purple throw blanket and put it over her.

She tied up her hair into a pony-tail and walked out into the hallways, spotting that Max again. She however walked past him and unbeknownst to her, dropped her headset.

He spotted it and picked it up for her. "Hey, babe you dropped your headset," he called with his deep voice.

Byte turned around, her eyes meeting his. Just from that one look she melted instantly, it was one of those feelings that happened every time he did something nice for her."Thank you," she smiled.

He stared at her for a moment then ran his hand through his thick hair. He placed his hands around her waist with a grin on his face, "We haven't spent time together in a while. What's Ram got you doing in there?"

Byte stared at him for a moment then sighed deeply. "Testing stuff out for the virts, as you saw earlier. It'll be over soon, don't worry," she said reassuringly.

He laughed and then pulled her into a tight hug, his arms bulging around her. "Why don't we have dinner? Y'know…catch up on things, yeah?"

"Hey, Cadet, don't you have to get back to work?" Mega called out from the other side of the hall, heading their way.

Max looked at Byte, "Oh…yeah I was just about to do that. I just…wanted to uh-"

Mega crossed his arms, "Wanted to what?"

"Wanted to talk to Byte…"

"About what?"

Byte stepped in, "C'mon…butt out, Meg."

Mega shrugged then smirked, "Oh [i]little sister[/i], I just wanted to have a chat with good ole Max here."

Max took a step back. He grew just a bit more apprehensive now that he was dealing with Mega, the older brother of Byte. For some reason, he constantly felt as if dating Byte was a crime around here. Even though not a lot of people approved of their relationship, he couldn't stay away. The girl was undeniable. "Listen…Byte, seven o'clock tomorrow? It's on me." He smiled weakly then walked off into the other direction.

"Smooth, brother," Byte said under her breath and walked off in the opposite direction of Max.

Meanwhile Siva sat in bed with nausea getting the best of her. She pressed the button on her headset and sighed, "Byte…I need you in my room." She managed to say then raced out toward the bathroom to vomit for the fifth time.

Byte ignored Siva's page since she could hear it. In fact, Java was the one to respond.

"Siva, what is it?" Java called upon entering her sister's room.

Siva coughed once more and sniffled before getting out. "I asked for Byte…" she replied, opening the door from the bathroom.

"She's busy. Besides, what's Byte got that I don't have?"

She leaned against the door frame and looked over to Java, trying to think of a long lie to tell her. She blinked for a moment then opened her mouth to speak but nothing came out.

"Well?" Java inquired.

"She has my make up and she hasn't given it back to me."

"Alright, I'll be sure to tell her then." Java said and sighed. "Whatever you're hiding Siva, remember that I'm your sister and you can tell me anything." She added which sounded more like a warning than a statement. She snuck out of her room, leaving Siva alone.

Outside, Byte sat on a lawn chair with a cocktail in one hand and a magazine in another. She took a sip of the drink then set it down on the table next to her…well tried. After a few attempts to place the drink down blindly she finally looked over to see that Jay, who was sitting next to her all along, had moved the table as a joke. "Why thank you." she scoffed and playfully slapped his arm after setting the drink down.

"Kiddo, you're too young for that stuff," Jay warned and grabbed her drink and guzzled it down with ease. He smiled at her as he set the empty glass down.

"Hey! I was enjoying that!"

Jay shrugged her off and gave her a pat on the head as if she was a dog. "What would your mother think, Byte?" he sighed.

She shot him a look as she played with her headset, though didn't realize that her "speak" button was on. "Well I don't know, Jay. Which one were you referring to? The adoptive alcoholic one or the real one?"

He smirked then went over and sat down on her lawn chair. "Well I think the alcoholic one would have encouraged it." he muttered.

Byte inhaled deeply at the thought of her real mother that she never got to meet. "I think my real mom," she paused, "I don't think she'd care either."

"I think she would." Jay looked at the girl and smiled slightly. For such a tough girl, she wasn't so tough when it came to matters like this. It just showed that she had a heart that no one else could really see, a vulnerable side that pretty much anyone would love to see.

She sat up completely, the headset laced around her fingers. "I don't know Jay…I don't even know if she's alive."

"You ever think about her?"

"All the time," she sighed. She suddenly looked down at her headset, noticing that it had been on the entire time. "Oh no," she muttered, eyes widened and mouth slightly agape.


	5. Drink

In the hotel each and every Techno had just heard Jay and Byte's conversation. Even evil Ebony and sickly Siva heard it. Ebony thought nothing of it while it brought a smile to Siva's face. The others however thought it was a laughing matter. Ram even went on to say: "Well, looks like our lieutenant has a heart instead of a big black hole." This caused a slight upset in Max, who then went out to the courtyard to fetch Jay and Byte on Ram's orders, but he really just wanted to see if Byte was fine.

Max strolled up to the two and cleared his throat. After placing his hands behind his back, he nodded to Jay. "General, Lord Ram wants to see you," Max said. He looked to Byte once Jay left and eased his position. He stared at her for a second. A smile came upon his face as he then sat next to her. "Hey, why don't we get outta here?" he asked.

Byte raised a brow. "What?" she asked. This boy had to be kidding her. Of all the times to "get outta here", now wasn't the time.

He shook his head. "No…no, didn't mean it that way. I just thought you could use a drink. After all I don't think your mother would mind," he winked. He knew he couldn't mock her any further than that, especially if he didn't want her to be angry at him. Of course when Byte was angry, she had the typical Techno temper: short and explosive. Hm…now those two words also seemed to describe that one girl named Ebony.

Her jaw dropped open and she stared at him. "How did you? Who…what?"

He leaned in close. "Everyone heard what you said on your communicator," he whispered to her.

Byte said nothing and shook her head. "They heard everything?" she groaned and walked off.

Max got up and went after her. He grabbed her hand gently, pulling her back to him. "Hey, it's alright." He reassured her and placed his hands on her shoulders.

"God, now they're gonna mock me for life."

Max stared down at her, "Look at it this way, they'll know about your situation and maybe…just maybe this'll help lead you to her." He grinned and leaned in just a bit closer. "Everything's gonna be fine." He then pulled her into a tight hug.

She could feel the strength in his arms just from that one hug, as well as his racing heart. "Thank you," she said against his black shiny shirt. "Why don't we go get a drink?" she suggested and felt his nod of approval.

"I'm gonna go ahead and change into some nicer clothes then."

Byte nodded then headed into her room, only to find a note lying on her pillows. She sat down and read it. In neat print it read:

**I'm still here, Noelle.**

**Don't worry.**

She grinned slightly as she read it then placed the neatly written note on her dresser near a silver necklace with a solid silver circle about a little less than in inch in diameter. In all honesty according to Byte, it looked a bit like a coin. But it was all she had left from her mother. It was well worn and had some words engraved on the back that said:

_"What lies behind us, and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us."_

The letters JN were also engraved on the front. She thought about it for a second then sighed; it couldn't have been a joke. No one really knew her real name except for a select few. She figured that they, knowing how much the "mother topic" meant to her, couldn't play it off.

As Byte began to get ready, Max strolled down the halls dressed like nothing more than a Techno in "normal clothes." It consisted of a white fitted crewneck shirt, a pair of black pants, and a black euro style motorcycle jacket with a silver stripe the stretched down each of the arms. He stopped for a moment in front of Byte's door and knocked softly. He ran his hands through his thick brown mane as he patiently waited for the girl.

On the other side of the door was Byte dressed in a pair of tight, black pants, a black tank top with suspenders printed on it, some cute military style boots, which did not resemble the Techno boots in any way. Apart from that she also wore a headband with a mini top hat attached to it. She walked over to the door and smiled. "Hey there," she greeted upon seeing him, her grin expressing the joy she got out of seeing him.

"Hey," Max replied with a smile on his face as well. After Byte had closed the door, he grabbed her hand gently then walked with her to the garage where they kept all of the automobiles. Byte grabbed the keys to one of the dune buggies and tossed the set to him. He got in one side, she got in the other and then they were off. They sped through the city and finally reached their destination, the casino. Max got out of the buggy first then helped Byte out. "C'mon let's go," he said and led her into the casino.

The two of them sat at the bar where Max ordered a beer for himself and a cocktail for Byte. "Byte, there's something I have to show you," he began. He seemed hesitant to talk to her for once and this kind of scared Byte.

"What is it?"

"You have to promise me you won't laugh," he warned.

Byte smiled slightly and kissed him lightly on the cheek. "You have to calm down sometimes," she replied.

He sighed once more then looked back at her. "We've been together for about two years now. You're beautiful, fun, smart," he smiled then suddenly frowned. "Not to mention you're also hot headed, pushy, jealous. But then I've learned to love those things…especially the pushiness. You're the person I want to keep forever, the person I'd want to wake up next to every morning, and the person who'll keep my heart forever." He slowly lifted his white shirt to the point where he almost took it off. "That's why I got Noelle tattooed on me." He revealed a newly inked tattoo located over his heart. It simply read "Noelle" in cursive along with some decorative accents.

Her jaw dropped as she saw it then she smiled, "You got that for me?" she grinned then wrapped her arms around him. "It's cute…somewhat corny but cute."

Max winced because she tapped the tattoo but smiled easily. "Yes, I did. Now let's drink to make the stinging go away," he laughed.

Two hours passed and Byte was on her tenth shot of tequila after having about three other cocktails. She held the small shot glass in one hand and grinned. "One…two…go!" she said. She took the shot quickly and let the alcohol burn on the way down. She laughed hysterically as she watched Max take his twelfth shot. She was handed another shot of tequila and just inhaled the damn thing. By this time the girl was gone, as in drunk to the point of no return. She laughed a bit more and rested her head on the table.

Max stared down at her then inched closer to her. "Byte…you're pretty…drunk. Let's go home." He grinned for he wasn't just as drunk as she was. It was quite funny to him because he was the more capable one out of the two. He grabbed her hand and brought it to his mouth then kissed it lightly.

Byte sat up and looked at him, actually happy he'd done that. Her face inched closer to his until she kissed him on the lips. She pulled away shortly after with a grin on her face.

He grinned and pulled her closer to him and kissed her firmly on the cheek then stood up. He helped her up and once she was standing, he wrapped his arms around her. He saw her wobble at first, so he decided to scoop her up then carry her out the bar.

Once outside, he put her down on the ground and held on to her. Though he was fairly unbalanced himself he made sure she wasn't going to fall. He stared at her for a moment and just couldn't resist her. "Come here…" he grinned and pulled her towards him. He kissed her on the top of the head then led her back to the hotel. He had decided to leave the buggy at the bar since he was in no mood to drive.

After a few minutes of walking the two of them reached the hotel. Suddenly Byte crashed into the hallway, banging her head against the wall. "Oomph ow…" she said and laughed at herself. Max followed after her. He grabbed her by the waist, turned her around, kissed her deeply. She on the other hand playfully slapped him on the cheek. After doing so, she immediately followed it up with a couple kisses. "Sorry…sorry…didn't essactly mane it.

Max laughed and picked her up, pinning her against the wall with a thud. Byte suddenly looked at him with blood shot eyes. "Shh! Shh! That's Java's room," she said somewhat quietly. "You have to go before she comes out! She'll feed you to the lions!" she warned then kissed him on the cheek.

"Bye bye…" he finally said.

Just as Byte said, Java came out of her room. She looked outside her door, only to find Byte helplessly on the ground. She sighed deeply, grabbed her by the arm and led her into her room before Ram or the guards saw anything. She closed the door after placing Byte in the room and ran after Max. She stopped him in his tracks after grabbing him by the wrist and pulling him back to her. "What do you think you're doing?" she asked sternly but couldn't get a straight response from him. She grew impatient and even angrier by him. She slapped him across the face hard. "You're no longer welcome to see Byte you hear me? I hope you'll remember that in the morning," she added and walked off.

Upon entering her room Java found Byte on the floor, passed out. She knelt down and took Byte's hat off then placed a pillow under her head and a throw blanket on top of her. She then walked back over to her bed and slipped underneath the deep purple covers. "Goodnight, kiddo," she muttered as she switched the light off.

After about six hours of sleep, Byte woke up to find her communicator in front of her. She laid there and turned to lie on her stomach. Amazingly, she knew where she was just from the smell of it. For some reason, Java's room always smelled like the fresh and floral perfume she always put on. "Clean" was how Byte usually described it. She slipped the headset on and rested her forehead against the pillow after feeling the huge surge of pressure come over her head and a wave of nausea.

"So glad you're up." Java said as she came through the door.

Byte sighed and muttered some things into the pillow before speaking to Java.

Java sat down on the bed, and stared straight down at Byte. "You mind telling me what last night was all about?" she asked sternly. Disappointed was an understatement as to what she was feeling at this point.

Byte looked up, her grey irises surrounded by a field of pink. "Had a few too many drinks…and that's all I can remember," she replied.

"You're worse than me," she muttered under her breath. Java then stood up, grabbed Byte by the arm and helped her up. "Listen…and I want you to listen well. I don't want you around that Max anymore."

Crossing her arms, Byte stared at Java then shook her head. "I can tell you right here right now that that's not gonna happen."

She tilted her head and sighed, her temper slowly rising. "Oh really? Byte, that kid brought you home drunk! What if something happened to you?"

"Nothing happened to me though!" Byte replied. Her temper as well began to rise.

Java crossed her arms as well and shook her head. "You can't even remember what happened last night! How the hell do you know if something had happened to you?"

Byte scoffed, furrowing her eyebrows angrily, "I'm fine, I'm alive, not hurt or anything. You know I'm smart about these things."

"You weren't last night…dammit Byte," she scoffed, "if Ram found out about this, god knows what he'll do."

"He's not going to find out because no one's going to tell him," she insisted then slowly began walking toward the door.

Java stepped in front of her and stopped her by the shoulder. "We're not done here."

"Well what else is there to say, Java? You've said enough, now I'm leaving."

"Really? Is that what you're gonna do, leave and act like an easy target for horny mongrels all over again?"

"God, now you've gone too far. How many times do I have to tell you? Nothing happened! Who do you think you are? You're not my mother!" Byte said loudly, almost yelling.

"Don't you raise your voice at me! Someone has to scold you for something like this, now shut up and listen to me!" Java yelled back.

Byte stood in front of her, face to face with tears welling up in her eyes out of pure anger.

"What were you thinking? Jesus, Byte, you don't know how disappointed I am in you! I can't believe you got drunk! Let alone, come home drunk! You're a smart girl, Byte and I don't know what happened to you last night." Java sighed and stared at the young girl, who was crying now out of guilt. "Look, I'm only scolding you because I happen to care about you and I just don't want you to make the same mistakes I did."

Byte quickly wiped the tears away then sniffled. "I'm sorry, Java. But you can't stop me from seeing Max."

"I'll compromise," Java replied quietly. "Go on, fix your make up and get to work. Go ahead and use my stuff if you want," she added then walked out in a slight hurry.

She went into the bathroom after Java had left and took off all of her make up. It was messed up anyway, so doing it all over would do her any harm. First, she grabbed the vanilla colored eye shadow, then the green, then the black and applied them in that order. After that, she applied the green eyeliner and then some mascara. After about ten minutes, she was finished and looked like her normal self again apart from the slightly puffy eyes due to crying. Byte walked out of the room and headed down to the main computer room where Siva, Java and Jay were.

"Byte, so nice of you to join us," Java greeted. Obviously it was a bit of an act put on by her in order to keep Ram clueless.

Ram turned around in his wheelchair and held a reality space visor in his hands. "Ah, there's my lovely lieutenant. I have a different kind of assignment for you. Why don't you patrol the city today with this Cadet here?" he asked and gestured to Max.

Java looked at Byte and inhaled deeply, as if to say "Don't do anything stupid".

Byte nodded then smirked slightly, "Gladly."


	6. Java

Byte and Max walked slowly through the city as they were followed by a few other guards. Max turned to her and looked at her with somewhat bloodshot eyes. "So, you remember anything from last night?" he asked.

"Not at all but Java," she sighed, "she caught me. Luckily she didn't tell anyone, but she sure did make something clear."

He stared down at her. "She doesn't want you to see me anymore," he replied since he actually remembered what Java had said to him. That's all he remembered though, he didn't remember the slap in the face thankfully. The next morning, though, he did wonder why his right cheek was a little red.

She nodded then looked up at him, bringing their walk outside to a halt. "But I don't want to stop being with you."

Max sighed. He knew that he wanted to be with Byte more than anything but it was just the people around her that caused the reluctance. He knew there would come a day when they'd have to make their decision on whether to part ways because of it. "Are you sure about that Byte? I mean the people who aren't approving of us right now are the most important people in your life. Are you sure you want to be with me?"

"Yes, I'm sure. I don't care about what they say. It's been two years, Max and-"

"Two years, I know. But that's the thing, they've tolerated _us_ for two years and no one has really supported us."

"Do we really need their support? They're not the ones in this relationship! Their opinion about us is nothing to me."

"Yeah but they're like your family. They matter to _you_."

Byte crossed her arms and stared at him. "Max, are you trying to get at something? Just be straightforward with me."

Max sighed and shook his head. "No, I'm just concerned that's all," he then wrapped his arms around her waist, "I just want to be sure that's all."

"If I didn't want anything between us to happen, I'd have already kicked you to the curb," she smirked.

**Flashback**

"Why don't you just shut up and mind your own business, Ebony? They're my grades anyway." A sixteen year old Java said, very much annoyed with her younger sister.

"Fine, just so you know mom and dad won't be very pleased." Ebony replied with a slight smirk before handing Java her report card.

Java walked downstairs of the two story home after hearing the doorbell. She opened the door to find Noah just standing there. "Hey you," she smiled and let him in the house.

Noah was her boyfriend at the time. He was a strapping guy, standing at a height of six feet with brown hair and deep set eyes. His eyes always seemed to change colors under certain lighting from hazel to green to blue to grey. This awed Java as well as his toned body. Apart from that, he was also the captain of the rugby team. "Your parents home?" he asked, his voice deep yet slightly husky.

"Nope. They're gone once again surprise surprise."

Noah grinned while he brought out a bottle of alcohol and two shot glasses. "Looks like we're gonna have some fun tonight."

Java looked up to her sisters' room and smirked, "Yeah, we just have to work on getting them out of the house."

He nodded then walked into the kitchen and placed the bottle and glasses under the sink. "Go ahead and work on that."

She walked upstairs to Siva's room, walking in without knocking. "Hey. Got any plans tonight?" she asked.

Siva poked her head out from her closet and shook her head.

"Well make some plans or something. Go ahead and go shopping with some of the girls."

"With what money Java?"

Java tossed her a bundle of cash then grinned, "Looks like you don't know where dad's been keeping all his money."

Siva smiled uneasily then sat on her bed. "Fine, I'll go."

"Good." Java muttered and walked out of her room to Ebony's room. She walked in again without knocking. "Hey, get out of the house tonight. Hang out with that Martin kid you're always talking about," She said simply then walked out.

She trotted back down the stairs over to Noah and curled up on his lap as he watched TV on the couch. "Looks like we've got the place to ourselves," she said then kissed him on the cheek.

After about two hours, the house was finally cleared and the two of them got to drinking. Ten shots of vodka each and the both of them were just about done. "Java, come here," Noah grinned and pulled her toward him then kissed her on the lips. Right before walking upstairs, he scooped her up in one swift motion then proceeded up the stairs to Java's room.

Two months later, she was back in the exact same place just months before. Java muttered along as she read the directions on the box slowly. "Alright so pink is negative and blue is positive," she said to herself and went to the bathroom.

She sneaked back in her room, and awaited the results while the loud rock boomed out of the speakers. Two minutes and a little stick would determine her life for her, one way it'd be changed forever and the other way her life would be normal. The two minutes passed and she headed to the bathroom for the stick. Her hands shook as she picked it up and she sighed deeply, tears already brimming over her eyes.

Siva came upstairs and knocked on Java's door but she didn't answer. "Java! Turn that music down!" she banged on the wall.

"Bite me!" she yelled back and turned the music up even louder, but Siva came bursting in.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Java asked angrily then put the stick down quickly.

Siva went to the CD player and turned the music way down and almost made her way down back to her room until she saw the test. She looked back at Java and sighed, "Java, what's this?" she asked cautiously.

Java wiped the tears away quickly and plopped down on her bed. "Siva, you can't tell anyone," she cried.

Siva came and sat next to her, "Javie you are…aren't you?"

Java nodded reluctantly which caused her sister to sigh deeply. "Yeah, I am."

"But you're only sixteen…" she said, astonished.

"Don't you think I know that?"

"What are you gonna do?"

"I have to tell Noah first."

The next morning Java walked out to Noah's house and knocked on his door, it was about six in the morning. Noah answered the door sleepily with his brown hair messy, "Java, it's six o'clock," he said, his voice a bit raspy.

"I know, I need to talk to you," she replied anxiously.

"Come in." He backed away from the door. He was simply dressed in a pair of blue boxers and nothing else.

Java came in and followed him up to his room, still contemplating about how she was going to break the news to him.

"So, what do you need to talk about?" Noah asked as he sat down on his full sized bed.

"Noah, I'm gonna have your kid," she blurted out.

"Well, yeah, if or when we get married, which is years from now."

"No, I'm gonna have a baby in a matter of months."

Noah stared at her for a second then shook his head. "Oh shit," he muttered, "Java, how…how could you let this happen?"

"It takes two to tango and it takes two to make a baby. I mean," she shrugged, "this whole thing cannot be my fault."

He stood up and opened the door for her. "Get out. I want nothing to do with this."

"Noah, you think I wanted this?" Java asked angrily. "One way or another this kid is yours, so take some damn responsibility!"

"Get the hell out of my house!" he yelled. "There's no way this kid is mine, you slut! Probably cheated on me anyway."

She stormed out of his house and came back to her house. She then moved up the stairs, dreading each step she took. Once at her bed she broke down, thinking about how she just lost everything and how she just let everyone down. She knew she couldn't raise this baby by herself and so she decided right then and there that the baby was going to be put up for adoption. She couldn't give the kid the life he/she needed but a family could.

Seven months passed and there she was, with the baby in her arms. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she sat in her hospital bed. Her heart sank every time she thought about how she'd be leaving her with another family but it was something she had to do. She sighed, trying to compose herself to speak but it was almost impossible. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry…but I just can't keep you. I promise that someway somehow, I'll come back to you. This is one of the hardest things I've ever done. But just want you to remember that I love you and I just want the best for you Noelle," she took off her silver necklace and placed it around Noelle's neck. "You've got something to remember me by."

The baby just smiled slightly and stared back at Java blankly.

Jay then knocked on Java's door and poked his head in, "Can I come in?"

Java nodded then wiped the tears away quickly.

He smiled weakly as he grazed his finger over the baby's forehead which caused Noelle to furrow her eyebrows and whine slightly. "She's got your temper already," he smirked then looked at the necklace. "JN?" he asked.

"Janelle and Noah," Java replied, "you didn't think my real name was Java did you?"

Jay nodded then looked at the baby, "What's her name?"

"Noelle." Java replied. The name was Janelle and Noah combined, the only name she thought of, and the only name she liked.

Finally the nurse came in. "Miss, it's time," the nurse simply said.

Java nodded and sighed while taking one last look at Noelle. She kissed her forehead as she reluctantly handed the baby over to the nurse and once the nurse was gone she wept. Jay held her and rocked her slightly.

"Java…everything will work out, don't you worry," he whispered.

Four years passed and everything was almost back to normal. By this time, Java was already in college in which she majored in business and economics. She arrived home in her black SUV, got out and leaned against it. She slowly watched her neighbors pull up to their driveway in their minivan.

The father of the family, Robert, came out of the van, then the mother, as did a younger Mega, Mega's brother, and a little girl. The mother of the family, Jane, waved at Java as she held the hand of the young girl. "Well hello there Java," she greeted with a grin on her face.

"Hi," she simply replied.

Mega walked up and tapped his mom gently on the shoulder. "Mom, I'm going to the mall with Jay and Ram," he told her and she nodded.

"Do you want to meet our neighbors? Come on, let's go." Jane smiled as she walked over to Java with the little girl by her side.

"Java, this is our new little girl. Her name's Noelle."

"Noelle?" Java's eyes lit up as Jane said the name, "That's a pretty name for a pretty girl," she said calmly.

"Thank you," Noelle said quietly as she stared at the ground, playing with that old necklace of hers.

Jane stared at Java for a second then smiled once more, "Anywho, how are your parents?"

"They're just fine, thank you," she sighed.

"Alright, give them my greetings." Jane said and walked off with Noelle.

As Mega walked out of the house to head to the mall, Java waved him over. "Mega, who's that?" she asked.

Mega smirked as he slipped on his left shoe. "Noelle…she's new to the family," he quickly replied then walked off.

The next day, Jane stood at Java, Siva, and Ebony's front door with Noelle at her side. Once Siva opened the door, she looked at Jane and smiled to the small girl. "Hi there," she said. The little girl looked awfully familiar and she couldn't place the face with the name.

"Hi Siva, I hate to do this to you but I have an emergency meeting at work. Looks like someone screwed up some calculations and yeah, well I was wondering if you'd be so kind as to watch Noelle," Jane said with a slight sigh.

Siva looked down at Noelle and nodded. "She'll be in good hands, don't worry."

Jane gave a sigh of relief and kneeled down to the child, "Alright, I don't think I have to remind you but I will anyway. You be a good girl, okay?"

Noelle nodded then looked up at Siva with a slight smile.

"C'mon, kid," Siva smiled and led her into the house as Jane left after shutting the door. "You want anything to eat? Drink?"

She shook her head as she walked through the house, "No thank you," she replied in a quiet voice.

Siva grabbed a bottle of water and sat down on the black leather couch. "Come and sit, don't be shy around here. If you're shy, you won't get what you want," she smirked.

Noelle climbed atop the couch and sunk in; her legs didn't even get to hang over the edge of the seat. She took into consideration what Siva said and finally spoke up. "What're we gonna watch, Siva?" she asked as she played with the silver necklace hung around her neck.

She looked down at the kid, almost surprised that she'd remembered her name. "Well, I don't know. What do you wanna watch?"

She thought about it for a second, "Cartoons. But won't you get bored?"

Siva chuckled then shook her head, "No. I may be a lot older than you, but I still happen to enjoy cartoons."

Meanwhile, Java was walking down the stairs with her headphones on then spotted Noelle. She froze, staring blankly at the kid then walked back upstairs. She couldn't believe it, she wondered if this was just her mind playing tricks on her. She then snuck back downstairs and concluded that the kid was real. "What are we watchin here?" Java asked as she took a seat on the couch next to the kid.

Noelle sat there between Java and Siva and smiled slightly, "Cartoons," she replied quietly.

Java then noticed Noelle playing with the necklace. She opened her mouth to speak but nothing came out. She looked to Siva and discreetly gestured to the necklace.

"Go on, ask her about it," Siva mouthed and smirked.

Java couldn't say much except for turning to the kid and smiling awkwardly "That's a cute necklace you've got there, Noelle," she smiled, "Where'd you get it from?"

Noelle shrugged and let go of it for a second, those grey-green eyes looked up to Java. "Um…I don't…I don't know," she began, only to become confused with herself, "they told me I had it since I was born."

"Hm…did they ever tell you who gave it to you?"

The kid sighed deeply, "No, they didn't wanna tell me."

Siva looked back at Java and vice versa. "Tell her!" she mouthed frantically, wanting so bad for Noelle to find out.

Java sighed uneasily, "I…um…I…"

The little girl turned to her with her eyes lit up, hoping for some sort of answer. "Do you know?" she asked.

Siva waved her arms in the air but Java just gave her a hard look, "No, I'm sorry I don't know," she replied which caused Siva to shake her head in disappointment.

The kid exhaled deeply. "Oh, okay," she said, slightly disappointed.

Java saw the disappointment through her child's eyes and suddenly the deep guilt she felt when Noelle was first born came rushing back to her. Her heart sank and her throat tightened up, she wanted to cry but found the strength not to. She thought about what she had wanted to say to her baby ever since she was born and finally all the thoughts and jumbled up words she wanted to say finally flowed together.

I'm still here, Noelle.

Don't worry

When the time was right, she'd give this to her. It was just one step of a whole process she had in mind. The step after that would be to tell her the truth, that she was Noelle's mother.

**End of Flashback**


	7. Byte

Java walked out of her room slowly with a folded piece of paper. It was a bit aged now but it was still good. In it was the message she had written Byte/Noelle, it was short and simple in which years of thinking were written down on this one piece of paper. She hadn't given it to her daughter back when she wrote it since she felt that it was never the right time. Today was the right time and Java couldn't just go on living life without telling Byte the news. She sighed as she pressed her headset and spoke. "Byte, where are you?" she asked, somewhat impatiently. "Byte, answer me," she said after a few seconds. "C'mon kid, what could you possibly be doing?"

Meanwhile, Byte and Max were located in an abandoned pub, lying down. Max had actually suggested an abandoned church but it didn't sit well with Byte. What they would have done in there wouldn't the holiest thing. Instead, they opted for the pub which seemed more apt to what they did.

Byte turned to Max with a slight grin on her face as she inched closer to him. "Oh Byte, you're too much," he laughed as he wrapped an arm around her naked torso. He sighed softly as he rested his chin on her shoulder. "I love you," he whispered against her skin.

"Love you too," she replied as she held on to him. She then turned around after hearing some buzzing. "Babe you hear that?" she asked, looking around.

Max looked around as well then sat up, "I think it might be your headset," he said as he stared at it. It was all the way down the other end of the bar, followed by a trail of clothes.

"I'll get it," Byte said as she got up with his shirt loosely covering her up. She looked at it and she heard someone's voice. "Oh it's Java," she muttered and put it on. "What's up?" she asked with a big sigh.

Java rolled her eyes then spoke up. It was about time Byte answered, "Where are you?"

She thought about it for a second, debating on whether or not she should lie about it, "I'm uh…I'm just out…"

"Yes, I know that. But where are you exactly located? Give me the sector, I'm out too."

"I'm at a pub," she replied as she gathered up her and Max's belongings. She threw him his clothes then slowly began to put hers on.

"Why don't I come out there and meet up with you? I think we need to chat…outside of the hotel," Java suggested, already outside just about twenty yards from the pub.

"S…sure. I'm um actually on my way to the market, why don't I meet you there?"

"I'm already a minute away from the damn pub," she replied. "What…you hiding something from me, Byte?"

Byte's eyes widened as she put all of her clothes back on quickly. She dropped the headset then moved over to Max, "You have to go! Go through the back way!" she said and kissed him goodbye. She then ran over to the doors and waited for Java to go through them. She did after a few seconds.

"There you are, kid," Java called out.

Byte fixed her hair up a bit as she caught her breath, "Hi…"

She raised a brow as she led Byte to the front of the pub where she and Max laid. "So, kid, I uh have to tell you something," She spotted a phaser on the floor and looked at Byte, who already had one on. "Whose is this?" she asked, picking up the device.

Byte's heart sank as Java found the zapper. "No one's," she replied.

"Uh huh, Byte, what are you hiding? Better yet, who are you hiding?" Java asked then shook her head. "Where's Max?"

Byte backed away, wanting to run but she didn't. "He's out,"

Java tilted her head and crossed her arms. She turned around and walked towards a small room behind the counter, "You sure about that Byte?"

"Yes," she replied as she gulped.

She smirked as she opened the door quickly, no one was there. Byte sighed, slightly relieved. "As you were saying?"

Java sighed and walked back to a table that she leaned against. "I uh…y'know…this is really hard for me to tell you," she began.

"Just spill it, Java. I don't think it should be that hard especially for you. Besides, what's so hard for you to tell me? Me…of all people…"

"Alright fine," her hands shook slightly from the anxiousness. "This is yours, I wrote it along time ago," she handed the paper over to Byte.

"How long ago?" she grabbed the paper gently, unfolded it then began reading slowly.

"When you were about four or five years old, back when you and I first met," Java explained as she watched Byte.

Byte read a bit slowly and furrowed her eyebrows, very much confused, "If you've ever felt lonely because I wasn't there. I'm sorry. Even though it's just words, it's also a promise that I'll be here from now on as your mom," she read aloud. "Wait, what?" she looked at Java. "Okay, you weirdo. This note has the same handwriting as the one I got earlier this week."

Java tapped her foot, not wanting to say anything. "Uh huh, I know," she said, beginning to grow slightly impatient. "Noelle, think about it for a second, will you?"

"Oh don't 'Noelle' me, Java, I think I know-" Byte paused, her eyes widened and her jaw dropped, "What?" she yelled.

For once in her life, Java was actually afraid of what Byte would do. "Okay, please calm down."

She shook her head, and then looked at Java once more, "You can't be! Java, if this is some sick joke-"

"It's not a joke, I swear. You see that necklace you're wearing? That was mine; I gave it to you when you were born on September 25th," Java explained calmly. "The J and the N stand for my name and your father's. Janelle and Noah…"

She crossed her arms, "Wha-…wai-..hold on!" she rubbed her forehead for a second. "You're my mother?"

"Yes, I am."

"Your real name isn't Java?"

"No, it's not."

"Okay, what else are you hiding from me?" Byte asked impatiently.

"Nothing, just that one thing. Ask me anything you want…"

She stared at Java, about to ask the question she'd wanted to ask for years. She inhaled deeply then opened her mouth to speak. "Why?" she asked simply.

"Noelle, I was seventeen and overwhelmed by everything going on in my life. I had college to apply to, grades, a boyfriend…I was too young to have a baby. I felt that if I gave you up, you'd have a better chance at life as opposed to a life I'd give you. You needed a life that involved a real family-"

"What real family? I didn't have a real family-"

"But you got a life that I could never give you! I'm sorry you had to go through what you did, I'm sorry I never told you sooner, and I'm sorry just for everything. You did not deserve any bad in your life, you were a good kid, and you still are. I regret not having you as my daughter," Java sighed as she shook her head. "It was a poor decision on my part," she added, trying to hold back the tears that were just about ready to flow down her cheeks. She inhaled deeply as she stared at the mirror image in front of her.

Byte as well tried fighting back the tears as she stood in front of Java, now understanding her intentions.

Java rolled her eyes then smirked, the tears just flowing down her cheeks. "Alright, c'mon," she said as the two of them just wrapped their arms around each other, bringing the other into a hug. "You know, sometimes you suck," she said, her chin over Byte's shoulder.

"Likewise," she replied.

The two separated and both quickly wiped their tears away.

"I'm glad you have my rationale and my brains but I hate that you got my temper,"

"Oh goody," Byte replied sarcastically with a smirk.

"Kid, why don't you head back to HQ? I reckon you've had quite a morning and I don't think these virts are gonna help either. Let's just switch for today…I'll go ahead and patrol with your boy."

She stared at her, slightly confused. "You aren't gonna kill him are you?"

"No, I just wanna have a friendly chat with him."

Byte got on to her headset with a soft sigh, "Max, come out and patrol the streets with Commander Java. She's located at the market and uh bring two of the guards with you just in case," she said as professionally as she could.

"Copy that, Lieutenant," he replied.

Upon seeing Byte and Java, Max gave a sigh. He knew what the both of them were up to, actually what Java was up to, and decided just to take it. After all, she was one of the most influential people in Byte's life.

Byte looked over to Max, her eyes lighting up. She gave that warning look over to Java then slowly began walking back to base, hoping that Java wouldn't kill the poor guy.

Java on the other hand couldn't help but give a slight glare to the guy. He was dating her daughter and she couldn't help but feel protective of her. Once Byte was out of earshot, she turned to Max, "Alright Cadet, let me just get this out in the open. I've lost some respect for you after what happened last night-"

"I know I'm sorry I-"

"Shut up. I wasn't finished talking. Anyway, I know you're Byte's little boyfriend but if that shit happens again, I'll have you living out here with these rats. Got that?"

"Yes."

After a few seconds of awkward silence, Java turned to Max. "Do you love her, Cadet?"

"Well, I don't know if I should be honest with you or not. Either way you'd have me killed."

"Just answer me,"

"Honestly, yes I do."

"Hm," Java glared at him for a moment before crossing her arms, "alright Max let's get one thing straight here. I don't like you but due to the circumstances, I'll give you some of my respect. However if you screw up and get my daughter pregnant or even hurt her in anyway, I'll have you deleted."

"That a threat, Java?" he smirked smugly.

"No, that's a promise," she replied.

Meanwhile Byte nonchalantly walked down the halls of the hotel, headed for her room. She whistled a tune as she did so.

Suddenly, she was pulled by the arm into another room. "What the fu-," she said loudly but her mouth was covered. She saw that it was Siva and by the instant she was already annoyed with her. "What's the meaning of this?" she asked.

"You should've seen your face," she giggled.

"What's going on?"

"I heard that we're going on a little mission today with Java."

"Yeah, what about it?" Byte asked as she fidgeted with her zapper.

"Well…I…was just a little bit worried."

"About what?" Byte grew slightly annoyed with Siva at this point but she decided not to let her annoyance get the best of her. Instead, she just sighed softly then stared at her "new" aunt.

"Damn, okay. You're giving me that look…that 'better spit it out or I'll kill you look'…jeez…okay Noe-," she looked over to Byte, hesitant to say her full name.

"Noelle. It's okay, Siva. You can call me that," she replied reassuringly.

"Noelle…hm…I don't suppose you've spoken to Java-"

"Okay whatever it is Siva, just spit it out!" Byte finally said.

Siva exhaled deeply, growing more and more anxious for the news she was about to break to Byte. "Kid, I'm having a kid," she said reluctantly.

Byte stared at her like a deer in the headlights. She didn't know what to say or think because obviously this kid wasn't Ram's. She shook her head for a moment to buy herself time.

"Say something please," Siva said quietly.

Byte looked back up at her, "Okay, have you told anyone else yet?"

"Just Lex and you. I don't know what to do, kid. That's why I told you and not Java because Java would kill me."

"I think I know what you can do. First of all, you cannot tell Ram. Second…you're gonna have to get outta here, as in run away. Since Ram's hung up on Ebony, I can persuade him that you…I don't know…you left and that you can't come back now since you may have caught something from the virts. You know how he is with sicknesses," Byte explained.

Siva nodded in agreement and took a seat on her bed. "Brilliant, Byte," she muttered, looked up at her niece and smiled.

"Why thank you." Byte smirked and shrugged. "I just wanna be able to see my future cousin that's all."

"So Java did tell you," she grinned and finally stood up, "man oh man, you don't know how bad I've wanted you to know. I can't believe you didn't see it though."

"See what?"

"The similarities between you two…see, you can get real hot headed and so does she. You both have that intimidating glare. You have her skin tone, mouth, you're her twin…a younger twin." Siva chuckled as she saw Byte give the same stare.

"Alright, Siva…whatever. We're two different people."

"Oh Noelle…you two are just one in the same. You'll see what I mean in a couple of years."


	8. Aphasia

A day passed and the odd thing was that everything still stayed the same and surprisingly, Java didn't kill Max.

Byte stood in her room, watching the guards patrol the hotel under the hot afternoon sun. She crossed her arms out of boredom. After a minute or two, she heard a faint knock on her window. She saw that it was Max and a smile grew upon her face. "Hey there," she said and opened the window.

He climbed into her room. "Hey," he smiled as he wrapped his arms around her waist. "How are things?"

"Just fine. Thank you for asking," she kissed him on the cheek while he held her close to him.

Max grinned once more as he then replied to her kiss with another kiss and a playful unzipping of her Techno top. "I like it better like that," he said as the zipper was pulled way down, almost to the top of her pants.

Byte laughed as she shook her head. "I think I'd get cold, you perv," she replied.

"No you wouldn't, I have my ways of keeping you warm," he muttered as he pulled her into another kiss.

"Really…well if you like my top like that then," she pulled down the zipper on his top and peeled the top off him, leaving him shirtless with his perfectly chiseled abs in view, "I like you better like this."

Max laughed quietly, now placing his hand on the top of her shirt wanting to take the shirt off her. However, he was interrupted by an abrupt knock on the door.

Byte's eyes widened. "Hang on!" she called back and zipped up her shirt to the appropriate height. She then looked over to Max, who snuck behind the door. Byte opened the door, only to find Ved on the other end. "What is it?" she asked as she opened the door enough so that she stood between it and the doorframe.

"Don't you have plans today with the wonder twins?" he asked.

"Who?"

"Java and Siva," he rolled his eyes.

Max smirked as he held on to his shirt while watching Byte. He stuck his hand out from behind the door and tickled Byte on the ribs. "Yes!" Byte yelped as Max tickled her. "I mean…yes," she said calmly.

Ved chuckled slightly then looked down at her, "You okay?"

"Yeah…I'm just excited for the day," she replied. "Woohoo!"

Ved nodded then turned away for a moment and finally walked off.

Byte shut the door then turned back to Max, who just laughed at her. "Not funny!" she said as she punched him playfully on the arm.

"Alright sorry, babe." He chuckled then plopped down on Byte's queen sized, purple sheeted bed. "Come here," he said then sat up on the edge of the bed.

She walked over to him and happily curled up in his lap. "So, where were we?" she asked with a grin on her face.

Max just took her face gently in his hands then pressed his lips against hers. He pulled her even closer to him then "accidentally" fell back on the bed. More so, they continued from where they'd been interrupted.

Meanwhile, Ved entered the computer room and sat next to Java. He looked at her, who was working diligently, and burst into a fit of laughter.

Java turned to him. "What is it?" she asked.

Ved wiped his happy tears away but could not stop laughing. "You should've seen Byte!" he managed to say. "Seriously…she got that worried look on her face when I busted her."

She looked at him, now confused. "Busted her for what?"

"Something was going on in her room…" he explained then laughed even harder. "I'm serious! I heard him come in, not a very sneaky guy I must add."

"Is he in her room?" she asked.

"Java come over here," Ram suddenly called out.

Java looked back at Ved then sighed deeply. "I'm not finished with you," she whispered.

Ram took Java by the hand then led her away for just a moment. Ved looked back at the door and found Siva coming through it. He grinned then made his way over to the girl.

"Hey Siva…" he greeted then stared at her for a second as she turned back around and left the room in quite a hurry.

He sighed and continued work for the next fifteen minutes.

Java returned to her seat next to Ved, "Now what was it that you were saying?"

"Nothing, I was just saying that something may be going on in her room."

Meanwhile, Byte lay between the purple sheets of her bed. She looked over to Max with a grin on her face as she finally caught her breath, "That was so much better than working," she smiled and sat up, manipulating the sheets so they could cover her naked body up. "You have to go though, they're gonna wonder why you're not working."

"Same to you too," Max replied and climbed out of the bed, therefore beginning the hunt for his clothes. He found his boxers, then his pants, Byte's top and her pants. "Where's my shirt?" he muttered after tossing Byte's clothes to her.

Byte began slipping on the clothes and for once she was dressed before Max. She got out of the bed and began looking for his shirt, "I don't know," she replied.

Max grinned as he looked over her slender body once more, he stared at her in awe. He couldn't take it; he moved over to her and scooped her up in one swift motion. "How did I end up with you?" he asked as he kissed her while she was in his arms.

Byte pulled away then scoffed, "What do you mean by that?"

Max gently placed her back on her feet, "I don't realize how lucky I am,"

She stared at him for a second, "Well, baby, I'm glad I have you too." she smiled and playfully kissed him on the cheek.

He returned the favor then looked down at her and chuckled as he found his shirt lying on top of the mirror. "One more kiss goodbye?" he asked.

"Hm…gotta work for it…" she replied with a slight smirk.

Max sighed and shook his head. Suddenly he grinned and kissed her deeply on the lips. He then pressed her against the wall as gently as he could but there was still an audible 'thump'. He soon found himself lost in her kisses and suddenly the door swung open.

"Byte, it's time-" Siva stopped abruptly after seeing the two of them in each other's arms…and Max shirtless. "What's going on here?"

Byte pulled herself away as she felt, heard and saw the door swing open. "Oh shit," she said under her breath, seeing Siva standing in the door. "Max was just about to-"

"Leave?" she asked, staring at Max. She giggled slightly then moved closer to Max, "You're one crazy boy to get a girl's name tattooed on you," she said after seeing the tattoo.

"Um, thank you?" Max said.

Siva crossed her arms then looked over to Max. "You better leave before I call Java over here," she warned then pressed on her headset, just about ready to call Java over.

Max nodded and walked out of the room after slipping on the shirt. After he left, Byte closed the door behind Siva. "Please don't tell Java. You owe me on this one anyway…"

"You're right, I do," she smirked. "I won't tell her, don't worry." She moved behind Byte and began tying up her hair for her. A few twists and pulls later, Byte's hair was now up in a neat pony tail. "C'mon, let's get going."

Byte followed her out to the computer room where they were joined by a couple guards and Java. After doing so, they set out to sector ten where the Aphasias were located. The area was located amongst a few sky scrapers and about two miles away from the Phoenix Mall.

Upon entering what used to be a bank, the three Techno ladies took a look around the place.

"Well look who it is," a deep voice bellowed. Byte recognized the voice but could not place the name with the voice.

She finally saw him and that somewhat handsome face of his. "Hello Kale, remember me?" she asked with a slight smirk.

He stepped forward and ran his hand through his thick, lengthy black mane. "Of course I remember you. You're the one they call Byte but I know you as someone else…Lieutenant Temper."

She smirked and shook her head, "Let's not get too ahead of ourselves now."

"What are you here for?" he finally asked, folding his thick, bone crusher arms.

"You know Sam and Quaid? Well their little attacks have got to stop," she commanded.

"Yeah? What're you gonna do if they don't?"

"You'll pay for it," Byte replied simply with a slight smile.

Java glanced back at Siva with a smirk on her face. She finally saw herself portrayed in Byte through the cool and confident way she spoke and the malicious actions she intended for the Aphasias. Finally, Noelle was the leader she ought to be. "C'mon Siva, why don't we go speak with Sam and Quaid," she suggested. The two of them walked off and left Byte with the leader of the tribe.

Kale grazed his finger over his square jaw as he gave a blank stare at Byte. "Byte, you haven't changed have you? Once upon a time you were out trying to disband my tribe yet here you are, once again, trying to do the same thing."

"Kale, I think you've got the wrong impression. I'm trying to make peace here. But if you wanna get a bit violent…be my guest."

He took a few steps back and soon enough, a crew composed of the Aphasias were behind him. "You silly girl. You constantly underestimate me."

"Back to base!" Java yelled as she ran back with Siva and the guards.

Before she could move, Kale grabbed Byte from behind along with two other Aphasias. "You're not going anywhere," Kale whispered in her ear.

Byte tried wriggling her way out of it, elbowing the Aphasia that was directly behind her. Her left arm was freed but they still had a good grip on the other. "Let go of me," she demanded as she gritted her teeth.

Kale fought against the struggle with ease. "Tie her up," he commanded. Two of the tribe members finally came over with some rope and tied her hands up and blindfolded her.

"Ram! We need backup!" one of the guards yelled into the headset.

"Where is she? Where's Byte?" Java asked frantically as he searched through the guards.

Byte caught her breath as she sat blindfolded in a chair, her hands were tied back. All of a sudden the blindfold was taken off and she saw Kale's face.

"Well, well, well, look what we've got here. Byte's in the hot seat now…" he said with a slight grin. "So tell me Byte, what are the Technos gonna do when they find your corpse out in the street. I'd love to know," the knife he had in his hand was just itching to draw blood.

"That's just wishful thinking," Byte muttered as she found the ropes around her wrists becoming looser.

"Oh is that so? How is that gonna happen when you're the one that's tied-"

Suddenly her fist was in his face, causing the guy to fall back. She got up quickly and went for the door, trying to pry it open. After a couple tries, she got it open then ran out and up the stairs.

"You can't run forever, Byte!" Kale yelled as he quickly ran after her.

Byte stealthily went up, flight after flight. Finally she reached a door, opened it and finally found herself outside at the top of what seemed to be a seven-story building. She caught her breath yet tried to find her zapper in her pockets but she couldn't find it nor could she find her communicator. She'd been stripped of them while they held her captive. She could feel her hands shake with utter terror but she couldn't let that get in the way.

Suddenly, she was tackled to the ground by Kale's massive body. He punched her in the gut and face a few times but she managed to get her arms around his neck and bring him into a headlock. Being as big as he was, he was able to lift her up and throw her off him.

After doing so, Byte found herself on the ground once again. The back of her shirt was badly scraped, so scraped that her back even received cuts from the rough pavement. She got up quickly, only to find that Kale was after her again. Like a matador against a raging bull, she clenched her fist and swung her hand to his face which caused him to jerk back. She moved over to him and placed a hand on his shoulder then knocked her head against his. She didn't feel the pain, but Kale sure did. She then followed the head-butt with a nice punch to the liver.

As if the attacks weren't enough, he grabbed the girl by the hair and pulled hard which caused her to scream. He then moved her close to the ledge of the building. "You're gonna pay," he said.

"In your dreams," she managed to say. In one swift motion, she brought her elbow down on to his crotch hard.

Kale pushed her away hard and suddenly Byte toppled over the ledge.

Byte searched for something she could grab on to, but things were passing by too quickly. Suddenly, she caught the edge of a rail and screamed out of pain after feeling her shoulder give way. Her eyes watered as she tried pulling herself up. She felt a rough tear come from her back and she faltered.

"There she is!" Siva said, her finger already on the screen. Java glanced at the screen and ran as quickly as she could back over to the sector.

"Jay! Ved! Someone get out here!" she yelled as she ran.

Upon seeing the building Byte was hanging off of, Java entered. She zapped as many guys as she could, one laser at a time. Within seconds though, she was joined by Jay and Mega.

Kale groaned then got up. He looked over the ledge and saw that Byte was struggling to get over the railing. He shook his head then moved down to the third floor where she was.

She tried once more, fluttering her legs as she tried to get a grip on the building. She gripped the stucco building with her shoes and pushed up against it. Finally she clasped the railing with her elbows and pulled once more. She got herself over the rail and spilled out on to the floor. She stayed on her knees for just a moment then got up slowly.

"I don't think you're going anywhere," Kale murmured as he gave her a sinister smile. He moved quickly toward her with the knife he had earlier.

Byte caught his hand with the knife and tried pushing it away from her. But she felt herself give out and the knife landed in her ribs. Warm red liquid spilled out of the wound instantaneously. She looked up at Kale as she dropped to her knees. She pulled the knife out quickly and suddenly threw it at him, landing right in his chest. He fell to the ground as well but she got to her feet.

Placing her hand over the wound, Byte slowly made her way. She saw three people running toward her but their faces began to blur and the room began to spin. Her knees gave way as the world around her suddenly went black.


	9. Anger

"Noelle please wake up…please…" Java cried. This was her daughter and to see her dying? No, she could not take any of that. Her temper rose quickly with anger and fear, her hands shook. "Get her to a hospital dammit!" she barked to those next to her.

"Java calm down, I got her." Jay said. He effortlessly scooped up Noelle's limp body and began walking out of the building. As soon as they were out, he began in the direction of the Mallrats.

"Where are you taking her?" Java asked.

"To the hospital," Jay sighed calmly as he turned around to go the other direction, "at base." He knew that neither one of the two, Java nor Byte, would approve of the care given by the virts. _"May as well give up the fight,"_he thought.

"Good." She pressed on her headset. "I need some people out in the hospital now! We got a Techno down! Move, move, move!" Her voice quivered as she spoke.

Within a few minutes, they were in a different sector where the medical base of the Technos stood. It was located in an old hospital, now restored and fully equipped with the necessities any other doctor or surgeon would need. It also contained new state of the art facilities, such as a new machine that sped up the ossification process of bones. This helped greatly if any one of their people had broken a bone and needed accelerated healing.

Technos were already outside with a stretcher upon their arrival. Jay put her on the stretcher gently then stepped back to let the medics do their work. He watched as the white sheets slowly turned into a deep red. From this, he began to fear for Byte's life. But he had to remain strong. He felt the obligation to.

Jay watched the medics wheel her away. "She'll be fine," he whispered to Java as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

"It's my fault, Jay. If I had stuck by her side, none of this would've happened. That should be me over there! Not her!" She buried her head in his shoulders as she cried.

Jay glanced down at her then took her by the shoulders. There was no way she could be blaming herself for such an unfortunate incident. He was in disbelief. Of all people, he thought Java would be the rock for everybody else since she usually was to Siva. But this situation she was different. This time she was the one needing help and Jay would be the one to help her. "Java, none of this is your fault. There's nothing that could've been done to prevent this," he said sternly. He sighed softly then enveloped her into a tight hug. "Don't blame yourself, okay?"

"Kay," she nodded. After a few moments, she composed herself enough and by enough, just to get herself to stop crying. She walked back to where the medics wheeled Byte away and followed them in. She stood inside the room, off to the side as they began work.

"We got to stop this bleeding!" one of them yelled as they applied pressure to her wound. Another medic brought out other supplies needed while another tore off Byte's shirt. The stab wound wasn't the only thing on her torso. Her chest was covered by a large purple bruise, her back was scraped, and the opposite side of the stab wound laid a small shard of glass which they were quick to remove. One after another, they found several injuries, several lacerations on the girl's body. The bustling only brought more confusion to Java. Then there was Byte, half clothed.

Her eyes opened slowly, only to find a horrified Java staring back. She tried to get up but the medics only pushed her back down. Her whole body trembled. Once she was back lying down, she mouthed something. "Cold…it's…cold," she mouthed and Java saw it.

"Noelle…" Java simply said as she tried to fight back the tears.

Byte heaved a shaky breath and her eyes shut again. Suddenly, all in the room heard a prolonged beep. "She's flat-lining!" a medic yelled. "Get me the defibrillator…we're gonna have to shock her," he muttered.

One of the assisting medics approached Java carefully. "Commander," he warned.

Java shook her head. "No! I'm staying right here!" she yelled. She then watched them put the paddles against her daughter's helpless body and shock her. Still, she flat-lined and everyone around her still remained determined to save the lieutenant. They tried again but Java couldn't handle it. She stormed out of the room and suddenly broke into tears. "This can't be happening," she said to herself. For once in her life she was powerless.

_"Why aren't they trying harder? Where was Max when all of this happened? Where's Jay? Okay, he's right behind me. Where's Mega? He's somewhere in the hospital…at least he's here. Siva? Oh what a cow, she's probably with Lex. Ram! Oh shit. Alright, Ved's there…it's okay. What do I do? What do I do? What can I do?_" Even though several thoughts raced through her head. she dared not to think of the question of whether or not Noelle would make it.

Jay neared Java after seeing her break down once again. He approached her bravely then held her in his arms. "It's gonna be okay," he whispered into her ear.

Max suddenly burst into the hospital, his blue eyes helplessly searching for Byte. He ran over to a window and finally saw the sight. His eyes watered while he breathed deeply out of anger.

Mega moved quickly toward him and grabbed a hold of his arm right before Max was about to strike the wall. "Stop, Max!" he yelled.

Max huffed then shook his head. "I should have been there," he muttered.

Java glared at him. "Would have, could have, should have," she growled. She gently pulled away from Jay and approached Max like a hungry wolf. "If you would have been there, she could have been safe and should have been back at base instead of this hell hole!" she barked.

"Yeah? Well what about you? Weren't you there before this happened?" Max asked defensively.

"Oh don't you dare…" Java gritted her teeth. She clenched her fists, ready to give him a piece of her mind.

Jay grabbed her by the arm and gently pulled her back. "Java…Max…this isn't helping at all. Cool it!"

"I want him out of here," Java said a bit more calmly now.

"She's my girlfriend, I can stay here if I want," Max replied.

She crossed her arms and looked scornfully at him. "Yeah? Well she's my daughter. So why don't you get lost?"

Max stared at her then looked up at Jay. He sighed angrily for he knew that Java had a point and with Jay and Mega present, he felt that he served no purpose to them. They didn't need his sympathy; instead they just needed him to leave. He turned around and stormed out of the hospital.

Java sighed deeply as she bravely entered the room once again. She stared down at the wounded Techno, her wounded Techno daughter. "Noelle, don't give up on me. Don't you dare." Java spoke with anger; anger at herself and those around her for their negligence. She didn't want to think of what life would be like without her baby. Yes, Noelle was still her baby. In her mind, Noelle was still four years old packed with large amounts of temper and intellect.

Her brown eyes glanced over to the monitors which then indicated her heartbeat. It was weak, but hey at least it was still beating. She hoped that the medics wouldn't have to use the paddles again in case her heart stopped again.

"Thank god she's okay," she heard someone say from the door way. It was Siva's voice. She could tell it was hers by the higher pitch, and the way she spoke so gracefully.

Java didn't look back at her sister. Instead, she kept a vigilant watch over Noelle. "Where've you been?" she asked.

"Working with Ram," Siva replied.

This came as a surprise to Java. She thought that Siva would rather gnaw her own arm off than work alongside that creep of a husband. "No Lex today?"

Siva shook her head before moving towards Byte. It was weird seeing her this way. Usually the kid was so strong yet here she was, unconscious with her heart just barely beating. She shot a glance over at Java. She had never seen her so scared in her life. Even the time when Ram had fallen seriously ill she seemed so calm compared to this. Then again, Ram wasn't her kid. She could only imagine what her sister was going through and no one else around her could help her. Mega wasn't close enough to her; Jay…maybe; and now herself, Siva, maybe not. She and Java drifted away ever since Lex came into the picture. She regretted some of it but in the end, she knew Java was thinking the same thing as she was – that in the end, they were sisters and nothing could ever change that. "Java, if there's anything I could do-"

"She ain't dead, Siva," Java said quietly. At that moment, tensions rose. Java was already upset and Siva's unnecessary comment just made matters worse…well to Java it did. After knowing her for her whole life, she knew that when it came to Java's emotional side: when it rained it poured. And when it was pouring rain, Siva liked staying dry.

"Thanks anyway, Siv." The two sisters recognized that voice, that slightly raspy but now weak voice. They both looked over at Byte who barely opened her eyes.

Siva looked down at the young girl with a slight smile on her face. She was amused at the fact that no matter how bad conditions were, the kid always seemed to make some kind of sarcastic remark. Like mother like daughter. How cute.

Java rushed over to Byte's side. "Noelle, what's up…how are you feeling?"

Byte sighed then gave her that infamous smirk she inherited…well sort of. She showed weakness and pain behind the smirk instead of the usual confidence and the intimidating demeanor it exuded. "Hurting and tired," she simply replied.

"Alright, I can kinda fix that. How about some dope?" Java asked.

"You're dealing drugs to me? Really?" Byte asked, startled at her mother's question. She sighed softly then closed her eyes once more.

"No…pain killers, kid." Java chuckled. It was good to see that the kid was awake but she knew that she had to rest up. She turned away for a moment to get a medic until she heard a prolonged beep. She looked back at Noelle then the monitor to find that her heart was barely beating. It dipped down to twenty-seven beats per minute. Frantic, she grabbed a medic and dragged him into the room. "What's wrong with her?" she asked.

"Her heart isn't pumping the proper amount of blood needed. She's gonna have to get a blood transfusion. I don't know why they didn't administer one before but she needs one ASAP. But we don't have any blood. I don't suppose you know her blood type…" After receiving Java's "no", he took a large syringe and inserted it into Byte's left arm. Blood barely filled up the tube so the medic had to work with what he had. He deposited the contents into several tubes and awaited the results. "She is AB negative. We need someone that matches her blood type exactly. Hers is probably the rarest out there."

Java shrugged and just as she did that, the doctor pulled out a fresh syringe. "Oh no, no no, I don't think we have the same type anyway."

Siva approached the two with a slight smile on her face. "She's afraid of needles," she whispered to the medic.

"I am not afraid of needles, Siva. I simply fear the- YOU MOTHER! "She yelped as the doctor ambushed her arm with the syringe.

He drew a tube full of blood and once he was done, he placed gauze over the wound then taped it in place. He then went into another room and did the same process all over again. "You're B positive," he said as he walked back into the room. "We need someone here to do a direct transfusion."

At that moment, Jay walked in. "What's going on?" he asked curiously. After receiving a quick explanation from Java, he smiled slightly. "Alright check me," he said. After a moment, the medic drew some blood from Jay. The result was that he was O negative, the universal blood donor.

Java grabbed him by the arm and dragged him over to the medic, "He's a match! Let's do it!"

"Okay, we're gonna have to have the General lay three feet above the Lieutenant. So let's move the Lieutenant to the floor and the General to the bed. Nurses, go get towels to lay on the floor," the medic said. Within seconds, the towels on the floor were ready. Now all they had to do was get Byte there.

Jay inched toward the bed and slid his hands under her. "I hope I'm not hurting her," he said quietly.

"She's out cold. I don't think she'd be feeling anything," the nurse explained.

He then lifted the girl off the bed and gently laid her down on top of the towels. After doing so, Jay hopped onto the bed while the medic then came with a tube with a needle on each end and a clamp on one end. He then inserted one end into Jay's vein and the other into Byte's. Then he released the clamp. All of them watched and hoped that Byte would make it through the night because of the transfusion. After ten minutes the medic took out the needles from both Jay's arm and Byte's arm. After wrapping them up, Jay did the honor of moving the girl back to her bed. Java sat back in a nearby chair while Siva and Mega went back to headquarters to continue work.

Of course by this time, Jay was in no condition to get back to work. He felt weak at the knees and there were two explanations for it. One: the blood transfusion and Two: Java's presence. He moved over to a chair and sat down in it after a bit of a struggle to get to it. "Now we wait," he muttered.

"My near and dear friends, I have decided that we need a second base. No, kids this ain't baseball, I'm talking about a second home. Take, if you will, a sort of vacation home. But first, we need to scout this area." Ram pointed over to a monitor where a map of some secluded area was shown. "I wish to send my troops to this area in three months. I need pilots, battalion officers, whatever is needed to take hold of this area. I have been informed that there is currently a tribe residing in this area, so phasers will be necessary as well as other weapons." Ram smiled slightly then folded his hands together. "My wife, Siver will read off the names of those who will be heading out there in those three months."

Siva held the paper up and began reading the names off slowly. When she reached the thirteenth person, she hesitated slightly. "Cadet Max," she said then continued.

Max sighed slightly and remained calm about it, especially since he was in front of Ram. _"What a selfish jerk. We don't need another damn base, we're perfectly fine here. All he'll do is sit on his ass and press buttons all while we fight for a worthless piece of land. I've got a girl here and I don't want to leave her. I mean, what if something happens to her and I'm not there to…protect her? It already happened once, I can't let it happen again. Her family's here though, so I can count on them to watch over her for me."_ He glanced over at Siva once she was finished reading off the names. She shot a look to the door then to him as a way to get him out of the room. Max followed after her along with two guards. After reaching the doorway, the guards left and now Siva and Max were alone. "Look, Siva…I don't know how to say this but I need to ask a favor."

Siva gestured for him to follow her. "Walk and talk, kid." Once they started their walk along the halls, she turned to him. "What is it?" she asked.

He sighed, hesitant to ask her the favor. It had to be done though, what's he got to lose? "I was wondering if you could take me off that list. I just don't want to head out there, especially with Byte in her condition."

She smiled slightly as she glanced up at him. _"Man, I wonder how he keeps his hair so nice. Just the way a few strands fall over his eyes and that nice volume…and those killer green eyes…wow. He reminds me of someone though…a virt. Who is it?"_ Siva finally came to a stop in front of her room. "You're such a good boyfriend," she teased. "But I can't do that kid, sorry. Ram already knows that you and Byte are dating and that she and I are close. Now if you magically disappear off that list you're not only putting your neck on the line but mine and Byte's as well," Siva explained. _"I think his name was something like Prayer…wait no that's not right. I think I got it-"_

Max looked down at Siva. By this time she shook her head to herself. "You okay, Siva?"

"Bray!" she quipped. She then noticed the odd look from Max then smiled slightly, "Sorry. Just yeah, can't do it. Just think of it this way, once you come back there'll be a promotion for you."

He nodded then patted her on the shoulder lightly. "Thanks anyway," he muttered then went on his way. He was disappointed but Siva did have a point. It would be a selfish thing to do if he made her take his name off the list, knowing that her family was already behind her and willing to help.


	10. Burn

Two days had passed and by this time Java returned to work. She visited when she could, just to see how much progress Noelle was making. They told Java that the girl made little progress and as a result the people around her began to lose hope. She didn't though. There was no way that her kid wasn't going to make it. Noelle was a strong girl and like every other strong person, she had her fair share of injuries. This was only one of the few major incidents.

Java walked into the room slowly and quietly so as not to disturb the working medics. She watched them change the girl's IV bag then check on her wounds. One of them turned around and slowly took his procedural mask off. It made her nervous. She always thought that when doctors took their masks off, it was bad news. She took a seat in the nearby chair and watched the man approach her.

"Commander Java, we have good news for you," the medic said after seeing the apprehensiveness on her face. "The lieutenant is in stable condition. She has surprised us all. Her heartbeat has returned back to normal and now she's just resting. Along with the stab wound, we have found a few other injuries. She had a dislocated shoulder, a couple hair line fractures to her hands, a piece of glass embedded in her back. We've managed to facilitate all of these injuries. We've also noticed a large burn scar on the inside of her wrist and it elongates down to the middle of her forearm."

"That burn is from a long time ago-"

"Was it self induced?" he simply asked.

"You're wondering if she deliberately burned herself. No, she didn't. I'm sorry, Doc, but the kid isn't into hurting herself. She got that burn when she was seven…some idiot did that to her." Java stood up then nodded to the medic as a way to excuse herself from that mess. She moved over to Noelle and stared down at the girl's wrist. It was amazing how she sustained such an injury at such a young age. How she got it, Java remembered clearly.

_**Flashback**_

"C'mon Java!" Siva yelled. By this time, Siva was already on her way out of Loco grounds but Java stayed behind. Siva ran quickly and soon found herself in front of an eight foot tall chain-link fence. She scaled the thing quickly and once she was over she took the time to catch her breath…but not for long. One of the Locos caught up to Siva and managed to get on her back. He got his arm around her neck but the girl was too strong. She elbowed him in the chest hard enough to get him off.

"Java help me!" a small voice called out. A little girl was hanging off the edge of a pole that was held about twenty feet above Java. On the other end of the pole were three Locos, two of them were holding the pole steady while another teased the girl by bringing a lighter to her hands and then letting the flame lick at the tender skin. She screamed out in pain but managed to hang on.

"Hang on, kid!" Java yelled back as she ran up the stairs.

"I don't think I can!" Her fingers began to slip. She looked down once more to see if Java was there but she was gone. By this time she thought that she had fled with her sister. She suddenly yelped as the flame was once again brought to her fingers. Tears rolled down her soft cheeks while she bit her bottom lip. Suddenly, her right hand slipped.

"What do you think you're doing?" Java asked casually. Apparently her voice was recognizable to the kid. Maybe it was the particular rasp that her voice had. Anyway, the three Locos she looked at were nothing but a bunch of kids. They seemed to be about twelve years old or so and they were no match against her. She brought two of them down easily just by a kick to each of their faces. She moved to the pole and gave the third boy a head butt to the face which caused him to let go of the pole. She dove on top of it and saw that the kid's remaining hand was about to give way. Her hand shot out to the girl's hand and grasped it quickly. "Gotcha!" she managed to say while she pulled the seven-year-old back to safety. "Let me see your hands, Noelle," she said firmly.

She winced for the kid as she saw the blisters upon her hands. On the girl's left arm however, there was a deep burn that started from the middle of her wrist and stretched down to the middle of her forearm. The burn was so deep that it actually reached the meat of her arm, where nerves and veins were visible. It was something that only surgery would fix. Obviously they didn't have the time or the supplies to do it. "Alright this might hurt a little but we have to do it." Java ripped off two pieces of her lengthy purple shirt and quickly wrapped each hand along with the burnt wrist. She knew that the touch of the cloth on the kid's hands but at least it would protect them against infection. "Let's go," she then said. She wrapped her hand around the kid's right wrist since that was the only decent place to hold on to. The two of them ran out of the building and found themselves on an asphalt road. Java saw her sister on the other side of the eight-foot fence and then looked to the kid. "Get on my back and hang on," she commanded and Noelle did as she was told. Within seconds, Java scaled the fence and hopped down over it like the athlete that she was. She let the kid get back on her feet and the three of them began running. "Move it!" she said as she began to run.

She watched Noelle look back at the place she once lived. Java too looked back and watched the dreadlocked boy they called Zoot scream out his slogan of "Power and Chaos". Really, he should have had that thing trademarked. One building collapsed as it was engulfed by fire. She could feel the heat on her back as she turned her head the other way and looked in front of her. _"There's no way Ebony can make up for this. She just tried to kill her sisters and her…niece. One of these days, she gonna get what's coming to her."_

_**End of flashback**_

Byte sighed slightly before opening her eyes only to find the morning sun in her eyes. She tried sitting up but there was a sharp pain that started in her side and it caused her to lie back down. She watched her for a moment before she spoke. Java looked scared, scared for her probably. There was a good chance it was because she'd never seen Java react this way towards anything else like work or Ram. She began to move but every time she did, other parts of her body would hurt. It didn't feel like soreness at all, instead it felt like a large amount of stinging and pinching. "Um…how long have I been out?" Byte asked cautiously.

Java turned around quickly, surprised at Byte's sudden responsiveness. "Hey," she smiled slightly. The whole thing was a relief to her now that she was awake. Even though the doctor had told her that the kid was in stable condition, she still didn't trust him. Hell, how could she trust any other damn medic after they overlooked what the kid needed most? Byte's awakening just served as a confirmation that she was alright, despite what the medic said. "You've been out for about two days."

"Really? Well I didn't know I got into it that bad. I mean all I remember is my arm hurting and that Kale cut me on the side."

"He stabbed you, Noelle. You lost a lot of blood…and you gave us quite a scare." Java didn't want to admit it but since she was only speaking to a close relative, she made an exception to her rule. The rule was that one should never show weakness, no matter how extreme the situation was. She knew that Byte knew that she was already strong and that this toughness she portrayed was only aimed toward those who weren't close to her, like the lower ranking Techno's and/or virts. "Your heart actually stopped and your beats per minute dipped way down," she hesitantly said because the thought of it all still scared her.

She was shocked. She didn't realize that she just put Java and whoever was helping her through a lot. "I hope it was just due to the blood loss not a heart abnormality," she said.

Java smirked, and yes the smirk was back to its same intimidating nature now that the kid was awake. "The only thing abnormal here is the staff of medics. A blood transfusion from Jay is what saved your life, they didn't even consider doing it until your heart rate went down and almost stopped for the second time. You know what's funny? One of the smarter medics actually thought you were hurting yourself because of that old scar on your arm."

Byte smirked as well but her smirk wasn't as intimidating as her mother's. Hers still retained its intimidation factor but it also had a hint of maliciousness. "Yeah? Well since they seem to be screwing up so much, when can I get out of here?"

"Nice try kid, but as much as I hate this place…you're gonna have to stay here for a day or two more. They need to run you through all of these machines to help you heal faster. Apparently there's this bath here that will increase the amount of white blood cells to make your cuts heal faster. There's also a weird machine that makes your bones heal faster too…kinda weird, huh?" Java looked over to the door after hearing a knock. She found that it was Max.

_[i]"Oh no…all hell is going to break loose."[/i]_ Byte sighed softly as she watched the two with caution. "Hi Max," she said. Java turned toward her and gave her a slight glare.

Max walked in slowly as Java walked out. He took a seat next to her and shot her a smile. "How're you feelin? How long is it until you get out of here?"

"Well, I have to stay here for one more day then I'll be back at home."

"But how are you feeling?"

"I'm just hurting a little bit, babe. I'm okay though." She softly placed her hand on his hands. "I've never seen you so concerned."

"Well you did scare me…surprisingly." He smirked. He was usually the emotionless tough guy except when it came to Byte. What he was about to say next, he hesitated. He couldn't think about what to say or how to say it, but all he knew is that he had to tell her. It was important and he didn't want her to hear it from someone else because that'd just cause trouble. "Byte, I um…I have to tell you something," he began. He stopped for a moment to gather his thoughts. "Ram's ordered me to go on a mission in three months. He's planning a sort of invasion on this remote area. We don't know what we're up against…all we know is that there's a tribe living out there and that we're going to be there for a few months."

"He wants you to go to war," she said quietly. She knew that she couldn't do anything about it. If he was a higher positioned officer, maybe things would be different. But he was a cadet and also Ram knew that the two of them were dating. If he didn't go to this paramount mission, she would not only put his neck on the line but hers as well, along with whoever was in charge of putting names on the list…most likely Siva. She sighed softly and shook her head. "I wish I could do something about it. I mean if you guys don't know what you're getting yourselves into, then it could be a death sentence for all of you. We need spies sent there to scout the area within the three months."

"For God's sake, Noelle, rest up! You don't need to be working!" she heard Java say. She was actually outside the room with her back towards them. This caused both Byte and Max to laugh.

He moved closer to Byte. "I should leave you alone now. You want me to bring you your laptop later today?"

"Hell yeah." Byte smiled as Max bent over and gave her a kiss on the forehead. "See you later."

He nodded and slowly took a step back. On his way out, he saw Java patiently waiting outside. _"Here we go, Max."_ He sighed nervously as he approached her. "Excuse me, Java." he said quietly to get her attention. Once he got her acknowledgement, he gulped. "I…uh…I just wanted to apologize for what I said to you the other day. It was completely disrespectful and I regret saying it 100 percent."

Java looked up at the kid as he spoke. "Thank you," she muttered. _"Maybe he isn't so bad. He's proven that he truly cares for Noelle but I just don't know if I can trust him fully."_ She then waved her hand as a gesture for him to leave and gave him a slight smirk. She watched him go and finally poked her head inside Byte's room. "You ready for round one of your therapy?"

_**Flashback**_

"Talk to me," Java muttered. She hastily chased after Byte, who was already mad at her for speaking badly about her relationship with Max. All she said was that she thought the boy was just using her to get what he wanted out of her. Be it a job promotion or simply just sex. "Noelle, will you just stop for one minute? Right now you know I'm getting to you because what I'm saying is true!"

"Tell me, Java. You sure you ain't jealous? I mean, come on you haven't had much luck in the men department or any other department I might add." Byte said as she came to a stop in the middle of the hallway.

"What's that supposed to mean?" she asked defensively.

"I'm talking about everyone else around you. You've made more enemies than friends, and you've certainly pushed both your sisters away. How do you think that makes you look?"

"Oh shut up, Noelle." By this time, the kid was getting to her. In some sense she was right, she just didn't need to hear it from her smart aleck daughter.

"Why? Because I'm right?"

"No, because you're being so damn stubborn."

"Well it's all relative ain't it, mother dearest?"

"Ugh! Now you've pushed it, Noelle! You aren't allowed to see Max for a week. You're…you're grounded! Get to your room!" Java yelled. "Move! I mean it!"

She had never seen Java so motherly and now she was speechless. She was actually dumbfounded for once. Noelle grunted a few words under her breath as she walked to her room. She walked in and slammed the door. After a couple seconds she grabbed a pillow, put it to her face and screamed as loudly as she could. After a good ten seconds, she let the pillow down and just flopped down on the bed. Who knew that getting so worked up could really tire a person out?

At that same moment, Java was in her room next door. She inhaled deeply and shook her head. She grabbed a purple throw pillow from behind her, stuck her face in it and screamed as loudly as she could for as long as she could. After several seconds, she laid down on her bed. _"Ugh, why did she have to grow up to be like me? Of course she had to… is that my punishment for my temper? Dammit!"_ she thought. She heard the doorknob squeak and she looked over. It was Noelle and Java looked up at her. "What. You ready for round two?" she smirked.

_**End of flashback**_

"What the hell is that?" Byte exclaimed as she watched the medic bring out a very long and thick hypodermic needle. "Keep that thing away from me!" So the kid had a fear of needles, big deal. She looked back at Java, who stood in a corner trying to look away from the damn thing while giggling. "Java! Yeah, great joke…now put that thing away," Byte said fearfully.

Java only laughed harder and inched away. "Okay, you can put it away now, medic. Keep that thing away from me as well," she ordered. After the medic put the needle and syringe back in a drawer, she leaned toward him and smiled. "I knew that'd work on her," she whispered. She sat down on the edge of a metal bathtub and touched the warm liquid that sat in it.

Byte undressed and got into the tub. She sat there for a moment as she flipped through a magazine. Suddenly she twitched and felt stinging all over her body. "It's stinging, why's it stinging?" she asked. Java simply shrugged and uttered a few words before digging her nose back into another magazine.

After a few minutes, the stinging finally went away. Now there was just a cooling sensation all over her body. "This feels kind of good. You should try it." She then splashed a little bit of the liquid on to Java's arm.

"Noelle!" Java scolded. She put the magazine down and looked at her arm. She felt a little bit of stinging then the coldness. She raised a brow as she looked to the kid, "You're right."

About thirty minutes had passed and now two of the three healing tubs were occupied. Only one of the people really needed the bath and the other simply enjoyed the luxury of it.

Java grinned slightly as she held up a glass of champagne and looked over to Byte who also had one. "Cheers," she smiled.


	11. Temper

About three weeks passed and Byte was back on the job. Everything healed quickly just as that special bath intended. One thing that the bath missed though was her mentality. Since she had gotten back to her job, the girl was less patient with others and less forgiving to everyone around her. Even by this time, Ram had promoted the girl to Commander. This meant more responsibility but at least her duties would be shared with Java.

Byte sat in the computer room typing away at figures and numbers. She heard the door open behind her and she turned around. Standing in the doorway was a guard with a virt at his side. The girl looked familiar and after a couple of seconds she placed the face with a name. It was Lex's deputy, Dee. Like many of the people in the city, Dee annoyed Byte especially with her supposed feistiness and sarcasm.

"Commander Byte, we've got the virt here." The guard nodded to her and closed the door behind Dee. Byte then brought out a few papers for her. The papers were for a promotion for up and coming broadcasts on City Net. "Alright, you are to read this in front of the camera within the next fifteen minutes. Read it, study it…just make it look good."

"What's the meaning of this?" Dee asked.

"We need this read by a virt so it looks much more appealing to the rest of your people," Byte explained. This girl was already beginning to annoy her. She thought her explanation was pretty clear and concise. How could anybody be confused with it? Then again it was Dee who she was talking to.

"Well I don't think I want to do it," Dee retorted.

Her tempter began to rise. The people around her saw it, even Java. She was seated next to Byte and was obviously eavesdropping on the conversation between her daughter and the nasty virt. "Oh this girl doesn't know what she's getting into," she heard Java mutter to herself.

Byte sighed deeply, "It's an order."

"And what'll happen if I don't do it, Byte?"

"If you don't, your precious little Mall rats will get a visit from us. You wouldn't want that now would you?"

The virt smirked then crossed her arms. "You wouldn't dare."

"Oh wouldn't I? As far as I'm concerned, you've got a spy living under your roof…Cloe. Since she's been hanging around with Ved, who knows what she's stolen," Byte explained with a smirk.

"Yeah? Where's your proof?"

Byte chuckled before she answered. The virt only seemed tough but she knew that on the inside, she was weak like the rest of them. "I don't _need_ proof," said Byte. She inched towards Dee and got up close to her face before shoving the papers towards her. "You know who I am and what I'm capable of. Now don't disappoint me," she growled then gestured for her to be excused. The guards escorted the girl out of the room, leaving Byte to go back to work on the computer.

After a few minutes, Java watched as one of the guards approached her. She knew that one of two things was going to happen. They'd either be scolded by the new commander or they'd get their heads chewed off. Either way, it wouldn't have been good. Byte turned around in her chair obviously frustrated with the cadet's news. [i]_"Oh no…Noelle, keep your cool. Don't be irrational now,"[/i]_ Java thought,

The virt actually made a break for it instead of attending the public broadcast and there was only five minutes left until show time. Java looked back at Byte as the grip on her chair tightened. [i]_"Oh here we go,"[/i]_ Java thought.

"FIND THAT VIRT! Within three minutes, I want her here and ready to go. Got that?" Byte yelled.

"But Commander-"

"I don't want to hear any excuses, especially coming from you, Private! Move!" she commanded.

"Losing your cool lately, kid?" Java asked as she approached Byte. In secret, she was actually scared at this point. Her daughter was actually being more explosive than her.

Before Byte could answer, she heard one of the guards over the headset. "What? You've got her? Good. Bring her to me." Byte then looked back over to Java and shrugged. "God how do you deal with all of this?"

"I don't," she smirked.

The guard brought Dee in within a matter of seconds. Byte approached her and shook her head upon seeing her. "You damn fool. It's only a broadcast, what'd you think it was? A death sentence?" she sighed deeply and placed a thick bracelet on the girl. "Next time, don't expect me to be so forgiving." She held the remote in her hands and twisted the knob slowly. The device quickly brought the girl to her knees. "You're on in one minute." She then switched off the remote and brought Dee to a seat in front of the camera.

Byte crossed her arms as she watched the girl vigilantly. "Make sure she doesn't run off again," she muttered to one of the guards and tossed him the remote. She finally walked out of the computer room for a short break. Outside the hotel she saw Max and a virt talking to each other quite closely. She watched the two of them for a moment with squinted eyes then went back inside the hotel. She sighed deeply as she sat in a chair in the lounge. She was soon met by Java, who took a seat next to her.

"Bad day?" she asked. Lately Noelle had been acting different and not a good different. Noelle's temper has gotten worse, maybe a little worse than hers.

_**Flashback**_

"Are you serious, virt? You think you can get special attention around here? A virt's a virt now go on and get your stuff out of here. I don't care if you lose out on business," she said. The tone in her voice clearly expressed her annoyance with the virts.

The virt then lunged at her. "Just who do you think you are?" she yelled and landed a punch to his gut then another to his face once again. Once he was on the ground she kicked him in the side until he grabbed a long piece of wood and swung it at her. She blocked the attack with her arms. The virt stood up and tried again and was successful at hitting her in the side. After a moment, he tried blocking her next attack with the piece of wood but she punched right through it. Byte heard footsteps behind her and then Java and Siva yelling at her.

"Noelle calm down," Siva said to her as Java held Byte back as an attempt to stop her from attacking him. The guards separated their fellow Techno from the virt.

The virt scoffed and backed his head to spit on the girl. He threw his head forward and clear saliva sped through the air, landing on the girl's boot.

Now she wanted to kill him but Java stopped her since the grip on her arm was strong. "C'mon kid, let's go," Java muttered as she pulled Noelle back then began leading her to the base.

"Yeah to hell with you and that whore! What is she, your mommy?" the virt yelled.

Byte tried to get him once more but Java pushed her back. Instead of Byte retaliating it was her mom. Quickly Java landed a punch on the virt's nose and walked off with daughter in hand. "That, Noelle, is a proper motherly greeting. Forget the milk and cookies," Java smirked. As soon as they were far enough from the scene she stopped and turned to the kid, who was huffing with anger. "Alright, kid…you've got to stop this-"

"He attacked me first! What was I supposed to do?" Byte yelled.

Java was taken aback by her tone. She shook her head and sighed softly. "I know, I know. You can't just let these virts get under your skin! The moment you lose your temper then you're simply telling them that they've won. Before you get back inside, I want you to cool off."

Byte nodded slowly then impatiently crossed her arms. "I'm calm," she murmured.

"No you're not," Java replied as she stepped back into the hotel.

_**End of Flashback**_

"No…I'm not having a bad day. People are just being so difficult today!" Byte sighed softly as she called a guard over to her. "Get me a drink…a nice cocktail…you know how I like it."

"Noelle," Java scolded.

"What? Did you want one as well?"

Java sighed then smirked slightly, "Actually yeah."

"Make that two then."

She turned toward her daughter as she chuckled quietly. "So tell me what's up. You're losing your temper faster than ever before…that incident with that virt with the pink hair certainly proved it. You know I don't say this often but if I'm actually a little bit afraid of you right now."

"Nothing's up." Byte looked over to the guard and took her drink from him. She sipped the drink slowly and let the alcohol burn on the way down. "Actually, there's one little thing. I saw Max with some virt…a female virt and they were talking quite closely, trying to be all secretive. I don't know what to think of it…what do you think is goin on?"

Java shrugged. Max meeting with another girl? Now that didn't surprise her since she knew the boy would screw up some way with Noelle. "I don't know. But I know what's going on with you," she sighed. "You're stressed out…and you're taking it out on the people around you. Let me tell you, kid, that ain't a good thing."

"I'm not stressed out, Java. I'm fine…everything's fine."

Unconvinced, Java crossed her arms and stared at the girl. "Then how do you explain all of the explosiveness, barking orders, and torturing virts. You've imprisoned more than twenty of them-"

"So?"

"In two days, Noelle? That's not normal." And it wasn't normal. The average Techno only "imprisoned" virts if they disturbed the peace. Usually such a thing would occur only twice a day.

"How do you think I got this position? If I was 'nicer' then I'd still be a rank lower."

Java sighed deeply before speaking. "Then maybe that's where you need to be."

Byte stared at her in disbelief. Before she spoke though, a guard approached her.

"Commander, there are some Aphasias coming to see you," he muttered quietly to which Byte stood up and began to follow the guard out.

"Noelle, where are you going?" Java asked, concerned.

"Outside," she replied curtly then disappeared around the corner.

Java sighed and stood up as well. "Forget it. I know exactly what you're up to," she muttered. She walked down the hall on the opposite end where Byte walked. She came to a door and knocked on it. In response, Jay answered. "Jay, you need to get out to the front."

"What? What's wrong?" he asked.

"My daughter is what's wrong. She's up to something and I'm scared. I….I just don't want anything to happen to happen to her so could you just…"

He nodded and walked past her slightly. "Where'd she go?"

"Front of the hotel."

Her eyes narrowed in on them once again. There they were, Sam and Quaid along with three other Aphasias. She wanted so badly to delete them on the spot but the guards stood in the way of that. Any irrational actions taken place here would immediately be reported to Ram and Ram had already given her a warning. Suddenly she saw the guards break down. Apparently their phasers were no match to their baseball bats.

They charged at her like five angry bulls and she got her phaser ready. [i]_"To hell with saving them."[/i]_ She pointed it at one of their foreheads and just as she was about to shoot, Jay grabbed her from behind and discharged her weapon. Three other guards came out with him and were quick to subdue the guys.

"Don't do it, Byte," Jay muttered as he held her tightly so she couldn't move.

"Whose side are you on Jay?" Byte yelled. She squirmed a little bit but came to a conclusion that she couldn't get out of Jay's grip.

"Bracelet them," Jay ordered. "If I let you go, will you calm down?"

She gritted her teeth, wanting to kill those boys. She felt his grip around her tighten up even more, "Fine!" Jay let her go as she grabbed the remote from one of the guards controlling them. She turned the knob clockwise and soon enough all five boys were brought to their knees. "Thought you could kill me?" she asked angrily.

"You killed our leader now we kill you," Sam said.

"Now that you've been arrested by the Techno's, you have no choice but to suffer the consequences," Jay said.

"Yeah? You wait, in the near future-"

"Boys, you have no future," Byte interrupted. She smirked as she twisted the knob some more. "I want them to suffer," she muttered to one of the guards and handed him the remote. Finally, she walked back into the hotel.

"Byte, what's been going on with you?" Jay asked as he followed her.

"What do you mean? I've been doing just fine," Byte replied defensively.

"You've been acting different. All you've been doing is working and barking orders at people. That's not the Byte I know and something's telling me that you're obviously hiding something."

Byte came to a stop in the middle of the hallway; she sighed deeply. It was true that she had built a wall around herself so she could block out all the recent events but Jay managed to weasel his way through. "I'm okay, Jay," she said, her voice quivering.

"Obviously not," he muttered then led her to the empty lounge. "Byte, tell me what's on your mind. I promise I won't tell anyone," he said reassuringly as he took a seat next to her on the couch.

She shook her head as she fought back the tears. "No. You're probably going to tell Java. She'll probably mock me for life"

"No, she's actually scared for you. She wants to know what's been going on. You know, Byte, she cares more than you think."

She finally acquiesced to Jay. "Alright, fine," she said. Reluctantly she spoke, "I was so scared, Jay, I mean you don't know how much I owe my life to you all especially Java."

"Yeah, I understand."

"No, you don't. I'm only human and I've only got one life to live. Yet, I've managed to live twice because of my mom. I just…I don't know…I feel guilty for putting such a burden on everyone, even her."

"Well I can tell you right here right now that you haven't put a burden on anyone. As for Java, well let me just remind you that you're her kid, she'd supposed to care this much. I don't want you to feel guilty for living so please just be easy on yourself and everybody else," Jay said. He moved closer to her, chuckling a bit. "Don't tell Java I told you but I think she's scared of you right now. Now go on and get back to work." He nodded to her and gave her a warm embrace.

After a moment or two, she strolled out of the lounge and out toward the hallway. She didn't notice Java though. While she and Jay were talking, Java was intent to listen in on the conversation.

She moved over and took a seat next to Jay. "You heard everything didn't you," she heard him say. She smirked before she put her feet up against the edge of the coffee table.

"I wouldn't be doing my job if I didn't," she replied.

"She doesn't hate you, you know," he said. Bravely, he took her hands. They seemed quite small compared to his and a lot softer too.

What she wanted most was to kiss Jay at this moment and forget about her life with Ram. But she knew that couldn't happen. Not here, not now. "I'm surprised," she murmured quietly.

"Well, she cares more than you think," he smirked. He sighed slightly after noticing Java's reaction, "Funny…I just told her the same thing."

_"Words, words, words…that same shit all over again,"_ Java thought. Like everyone else Jay thought she and Noelle were the same. Of course they were. Only a mother and daughter would have the same traits but they certainly wouldn't have the same opinions on everything. Must Jay and others reiterate the obvious? She smirked then took her hands from him. This act of kindness as well as the many others he performed astonished her. The only reason anyone would do this kind of display of affection was if they had feelings for this person and he was certainly showing it. "Be honest with me, Jay. What do you want?" she asked.

Jay sat there dumbfounded. He knew damn well that she did not like to be kept waiting and because of that he had to reply quickly but not too quickly. Thing was, there were so many things he wanted to say but he couldn't articulate the words.

_"Amazing, freakin amazing,"_ Java thought. Jay of all people was speechless? Now that didn't happen often. Obviously, he had to think about it and obviously she didn't like that much. The answer to the question was simple…well simple to her. "Well? What do you want?" she asked impatiently, only to receive silence from the man. "Whattaya want?" she asked this time loudly.

Jay tensed for a moment as he finally retrieved the answer. "You," he finally declared. It was the simplest answer of all of them and how he couldn't say it surprised him.


	12. Skies

Byte slammed Max against the wall with a playful grin on her face. She laughed as she placed one of her hands back on the back of his head and kissed him deeply.

"Oh now you're gonna get it, Byte," Max growled as he placed his hands right below her and lifted her up.

She wrapped her legs around his waist, not once breaking their kiss. He was just about to walk back to the bed until KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK! The two stared at each other, wide eyed. He put her down and led her back to his bathroom, leaving the door slightly ajar. "Quick, in here," he said as he helped her into the bathtub. He got in as well and started up the shower. Luckily the water was warm.

"Max!" Byte whispered but he placed his hand over her mouth after he heard someone enter the room.

"Max! You haven't seen Byte have you?" he heard a voice call out. It was a male's voice. He couldn't place the voice to the person so he poked his head out.

"No," he said but his eyes widened as he saw that it was Mega.

"You sure about that?" Mega asked.

"Yes," he replied calmly now.

Mega smirked then nodded to him, "See ya around." Obviously he knew something was up. He watched Max stick his head back into the shower then walked casually over to the toilet and simply pressed down on the flusher.

A rush of cold water hit Byte and Max, causing the both of them to scream out. Mega heard the two voices, walked over and whipped the shower curtain back.

The two of them stared at Mega in surprise then Max cleared his throat, "I found her…" he said, his voice trailing off with a guilty smile.

Mega glared at Max then shot a look back to Byte. "Outside, both of you," he said firmly.

Max got out first then helped Byte out. He grabbed two black towels from the rack nearby and handed her one of them.

Byte smiled slightly and wrapped the towel around her. She followed Mega out and took a seat in one of the chairs. Max as well took a seat and Mega stood in front of them.

Mega tried to gather his thoughts together but he couldn't handle the frustration he was about to express. "Byte, what the hell were you doing over here? Wait, I know what you were doin here and Max lied to me. What the hell am I gonna do with you two?" Mega sighed deeply then rubbed his forehead slightly. "Man, Byte you disappointed me and you Max…you're in for a long talk. Leave us, little sis, I want to have a talk with this guy."

Byte finally got out of Max's room. The lecture from Mega seemed like an eternity to her but she was excused early. Too bad for Max, he had to stay with him. [i]_"God I hope he doesn't break."[/i]_

Once she reached the outside of his room, she got rid of the black towel since it was now soaked enough to the point where it served no purpose. She however was still sopping wet. She walked down the hallway as quietly as she could in an effort to not attract any attention to herself. But to see a wet Techno was like seeing a three legged dog, it didn't happen often. She turned a corner only to find a woman coming out of Jay's room. She knew who it was instantly by the purple and black braids. She walked toward her quietly and stopped behind her. She crossed her arms. "What were you doin in there?" she asked, her voice slightly commanding.

Java jumped after hearing Byte's voice. She could have sworn she had a mild stroke because of the sudden questioning. She was still a bit flustered because of the recent events that just occurred between her and Jay. Clearly her appearance expressed what had just happened. Her face was flushed, her top was half zipped and slightly wrinkled, her phaser was on the wrong arm, her belt was unbuckled, and her boots weren't even tied. Obviously she was in some sort of rush to get out of Jay's room. She turned around slowly as she tried to think of something to say to the girl. But after seeing Byte's appearance she knew exactly what to say. "Why are you all wet?" she asked.

"I asked you first," Byte insisted.

Java crossed her arms and tried to keep her cool. She searched for a good enough lie to tell Byte but nothing was coming up. Due to the time delay, Byte finally confronted her.

"You had sex!" Byte hissed.

"Why don't you say it so the world can hear?" Java sharply replied. She took Byte by the arm and led her to a corner where the cameras couldn't catch then.

"Jay huh? I never would've thought he had it in him," Byte added.

"Must you be so vulgar, Noelle?" Java asked. "Besides it's called 'making love'."

She looked at her in the eye then chuckled, "Okay whatever, mother, you two totally did it."

Okay, the kid was right…and boy did she not regret it. She smirked slightly then stared at her daughter. "Now it's your turn," she smirked. "You certainly don't smell like chlorine…so the pool's out of the picture. Also I don't think you're stupid enough to take a shower with your clothes on. So what happened to you?"

Byte couldn't speak, like her mother she was trapped. A lie, think of a lie…oh hell. There wasn't a lie she could tell that could pass through Java since she was a damn good liar herself. Her mannerisms would give such a lie away. Quivering voice and fidgety body…yeah she thought Java would see right through it. She tried thinking once more and due to the time delay it was too late to lie about it now.

"You weren't out doin the same thing I was…were you?" Java's voice rang through her ears as she heard what she said.

"What? N…no," Byte defensively replied.

Java crossed her arms and gave Byte that "look". You know the look that she gave everybody with the intimidating glare, the crossed arms and the ever so famous smirk. "Well?" she asked.

"I…uh…well you see…Mega walked…let me explain." Byte sighed, only to receive a questioning look from Java. She tried to articulate herself but her thoughts were interrupted suddenly when she heard loud footsteps from behind her. She saw Java chuckle at the sight, so she decided to take a look as well. "Oh dear god," she muttered. It was Max being chased by Mega. [i]_"He broke."[/i]_

"I'M GONNA KILL YOU, MAX!" Mega yelled angrily. He chased after the boy through the halls, not caring about the others around him.

Java didn't know what to make of the situation. She didn't know whether to laugh or become angry for whatever Max did. She watched with amusement though as Mega jumped and took the boy to the ground. She actually winced for him since it looked like it actually hurt even on a somewhat carpeted floor. "Hm what's going on here?" she muttered to Byte, only to receive an innocent shrug. A smirk came upon her face while watching Max's attempts at getting Mega off him. He was successful at one point but the older of the two proved to be stronger. "I can't believe you and my sister! You're gonna pay for this, Cadet!" she heard him yell. Immediately, she shot a look at Noelle, who ducked back into a corner. Finally Mega got the boy pinned against a wall then she moved over and grabbed him by his dark blonde locks, "You care to explain?"

Max caught his breath and yelped as Java grabbed him by the hair. "Hold on…just let me…" he huffed.

Mega crossed his arms then looked at the two youngsters. "I can tell you what's going on here." He took Byte by the arm and led her toward Java as if he was feeding her to an angry lion. "I caught Max and Noelle…your little Noelle…in Max's shower. I heard a ruckus coming from his room just moments before. Who knows what had been going on beforehand…"

This only added to Java's anger. She gave Noelle the death glare before letting go of Max. Maybe she was giving him a head start. She turned to Max, "Max! Explain yourself."

He rubbed his jaw for a moment before answering. He couldn't think of what to say until he finally gave in. "Well…I mean…we were both clothed-"

Byte immediately stepped in. "That's factual but what he means to say-"

"I'm getting to you, Noelle!" Java barked. "I want to hear what Max has to say."

"I really don't have anything else to say, Java."

"I don't trust him, Mega," Java said sharply. "If you don't have anything else to explain then I'll give you something to explain to me. What's this I hear about you seeing some virt?"

Byte stared at Max with interest. She too wanted to know what he'd been up to but since Java asked him, it relieved the load a bit.

"What do you mean?" Max asked.

"You're seeing her aren't you? God, I knew I couldn't trust you." Java looked to Byte then to Max, awaiting a defensive argument from him. The kid was speechless. Only after a minute did he respond.

"No…wait. Let me explain…" he pleaded.

Byte furrowed her eyebrows out of frustration. "Leave us," she said to him flatly. She was hurt by the fact that he didn't deny his recent actions and therefore could have possibly cheated on her. After a couple seconds, she watched him leave. She sighed deeply as she began to walk off.

She passed between Java and Mega and suddenly she shook her head, angry at herself for being so oblivious. She returned to her room where she changed into a dry uniform and let her hair dry naturally to obtain that wavy lion mane of hers.

About an hour passed and Byte was back to her normal look. She decided to tie up her hair into the usual pony tail because she deemed it unpractical to have her hair all over the place. She walked out of her room hastily and reported to the computer room.

"Well if it isn't my new commander. Boy do I have a surprise for you," Ram said with a grin on his face.

"Yeah? What is it?" Byte asked.

He wheeled his way next to her and opened up his laptop. "You're going to be in a new game…actually a show in reality space. The goal in the show is to capture this man." He clicked on a picture of a man with brown hair, a slightly angular face with deep set blue eyes. "The both of you are after the key to the city but the thing is he's gonna abuse his power and turn the city bad. Long story short, you gotta get the key before he does as well as capture him in the process…just for safety reasons."

Byte smirked after seeing the picture. She grew slightly apprehensive after Ram told her to capture him for safety reasons. This man was probably one of the virts they captured and, like the dirty virt, Amber, was planning to make a break for it. She nodded in agreement then looked to Java, who just stood at Ram's side idly. "When can I get started?"

"As soon as we finish some minor tweaks," He paused, "you look a bit nervous. Don't be…it's perfectly painless." His voice was so smooth yet so malevolent. "In the mean time, we're gonna do a few promotional shots just to get the virts excited. Follow me."

Byte did as she was told and followed Ram out to the black room.. She took a seat next to her then slipped on the reality space visor. "I'm ready to go," she muttered.

She found herself in a forest in the middle of winter. She could feel the coldness against her skin which caused the hairs on her arms to rise. She examined herself and soon became bewildered at what she saw. The outfit consisted of tight fitting black leather pants, shiny black knee length boots, and a very revealing top. It was as thick as the average push-up bra but covered a little bit more. It too was leather. "Boy do I look like a whore." Only Ram would come up with such an outfit. After staring at herself for quite some time she found other things attached to her. A carbon black cylinder hung against her back and it contained purple and black arrows. Arrows? Well what would she need arrows for? She'd need them for her crossbow.

Purple and black, well that was a new color for her after noticing the new tribal markings all over her body. On her right bicep was an inch thick purple band and inside this band was an intricate swirl of black. On her left hand, extending from her knuckles to the middle of her forearm was a very complex and tribal marking that altogether took on the shape of an S. Then there was her Techno symbol with the red circles replaced with purple circles.

An arrow suddenly shot past her and landed only inches from her legs. She ducked down quickly then peered over some bushes only to find a strange looking man shooting at her. She grabbed the crossbow quickly and retaliated. "I thought this was a promo shoot!" she yelled. She shot a few arrows back to the man. She peered out from behind the bushes and found that he'd disappeared…but not for long. Then the man appeared next to her with a rapier in his hand. He switched weapons on the poor girl.

Then he came at her but Byte moved too quickly for him. She scaled up a tree faster than a cat would and now she also had a rapier. She hopped down and the two ensued in a sword fight. Parry after parry, neither of them could get a hit in. The man was just as good as she was and it frustrated her. They fought quickly and found themselves on a log. Stealthily, Byte managed to balance herself on the log while the man didn't have as much luck as she did. His foot slipped and Byte used it as an opportunity to give him a nice slice. What was weird enough is that she actually drew blood from the man's hand. She saw him freeze then look at her with his blue eyes.

"I knew you'd do that," he muttered softly and within seconds he disappeared.

"Okay, shoot's over," she heard Ram say. Soon enough the reality space world went black and Byte found herself sitting in front of Ram and Java. She stood up quickly with a slight smirk on her face. Ram gave her a smirk then wheeled away with Java. "You're free for the day," she heard him say. She then walked out behind them and moved toward the hall way. As soon as she was out the door, Max was already behind her.

"Byte wait," Max called out. The girl was walking hastily and he tried to catch up to her without having to run. Instead, he jogged up to her. "C'mon…talk to me." He grabbed her by the hand gently.

She shook her hand free from his grip though. She ignored him, not to be rude but to keep her temper at a minimum. Obviously when she was angry, she'd say things she didn't necessarily mean.

"You didn't even hear me out. The least you could do is giving me two seconds of your time," he commanded loudly.

Okay, so Max finally put the match to the gasoline. Byte was mad. She turned around angrily and shook her head. "Has this been fun for you? Yeah, I bet. Getting two girls at once must be a hoot."

"What? I'm not seeing that virt. Don't you trust me? I mean after two years, I'd like to think you would."

"Trust you? Max, it took you forever to even get a word out after a simple question was asked. What…were you thinking of some long lie to tell to Java?" Byte asked.

"No! You know Java's just playing with your mind! Now you're being a suspicious bitch," Max exclaimed. At that instant he regretted what he said.

Byte glared at him and turned around. She began to walk hastily back to her room.

"No, no, no. Goddamn Max, you idiot," he muttered to himself as he went after her. "Okay look, I'm sorry for what I said two seconds ago," he said. He grabbed her hand once again and held it tightly. "Will you just go with me somewhere?"

"Why would I go somewhere with you right now? Look at us, we're already fighting." Byte rambled as he began leading her outside on a runway.

Outside, the sun was about to set. The sky had just turned a soft orange and the air was just right. There wasn't a breeze…it was just perfect outside. He looked down at her and smirked as they walked over to an aluminum covered shed, also known as the airplane hangar. The doors were already open so the two of them just waltzed in. housed inside the hanger was a silver, single passenger plane. Off to the side was an area clouded with silver, black and white parachutes that either hung from the ceiling or remained on the floor. He let go of her hand and climbed up the side of the plane. There he stood on the edge of the wing, bent over, and offered his hand to her. "Trust me?"

Byte looked around and shot a look back to him. "Do you know how much trouble we'd be in right now?" she whispered.

"You didn't say that when we were in the shower," Max smiled. "Come on now…do you trust me?"

"Hey! Who's in there?" Byte heard somebody yell. She looked up at him and finally took his hand then he helped her up into the plane.

He sat down and handed her a brown leather bomber jacket that was in the seat of the plane. After Byte took a seat in his lap, he slid the acrylic dome over their heads and started the plane up. "Hide behind this," he said quietly into her ear. He then placed his arms around her and began controlling the plane. He drove it down the run way and finally reached the end of it. He flipped some switches and sped the plane up. Faster and faster it went until they lifted off the ground. "You know we could both get deleted for this?" Byte said.

"You could. But not me, I'm actually allowed to fly one of these things," he smirked. "Don't worry so much, Byte." He then chuckled then gave her a kiss on the cheek.

"What's been going on with Byte?" Mega asked as he approached Siva. "She's being so difficult and her behavior…she's turned wild."

She was actually sitting down on a chair and watching the sunset. She saw both Byte and Max run off to the hangers but didn't stop them. She figured that if she scolded Byte now then she wouldn't help her with sneaking out. Also, it was only a bit of fun. "Oh Mega. She's just being a teenager. The wild side just runs in the family." she noticed something that she didn't really notice before. It was whenever Byte was with Max, there was a smile on her face. It wasn't just any ordinary run-of-the-mill smile; it was a genuine indicator of happiness. That was all she wanted for her niece.

The plane flew smoothly amongst the skies, only to be swallowed occasionally by a few clouds. The sky then grew orange and pink. "Please don't be mad at me," Max whispered against the soft skin of Byte's neck. He then brought his arms around her before planting a kiss upon her.

Byte said nothing as she watched Max reach into his pocket.

He brought out a small black box and held it in front of her. "That virt you saw me with, she and I made a deal. In exchange for three bottles of champagne," he opened the box, "she'd give me this." Inside the box was a white gold ring with a round cut diamond in the middle and around the band itself was smaller diamonds scattered throughout. "I'd have gotten you a necklace but I know that you already have one that means a lot to you," he said.

His hands shook slightly as he held her hands. "Noelle, I'm doing this because I love you. I can't see myself with anyone else and when I go off to that invasion, I hope you will still be mine. Now I….I just…I don't want to wonder what it'll be like spending the rest of my life with you. I want to know. I'm not looking to get married just yet, I'll wait until we're both ready. But in the mean time I'm wondering…will you still be mine?"

She was shocked. For a few moments she thought her heart stopped beating. She then looked at him and nodded. "Yes," she finally said.

Max grinned from ear to ear as he held her tightly and kissed her. He then closed the box, "Good, so you don't need this just yet." After receiving a slight sense of disappointment from Byte, he kissed her once more, "I'm only joking." He took the ring and slipped it on to her ring finger.

She rested against him a bit more and waited for him to land the plane. By this time the sun had set and now it was just dark out on the base. He landed the plane gently and backed it up into the hanger. He turned everything off and slid the acrylic dome back. After Byte got out, he heard a ruckus coming from the main office in front of the hanger.

"What's going on in there?" he heard a few men yell. He turned to Byte. "Go hide in the parachute hanger," he whispered and watched her run. He then pulled out a flashlight from a top shelf and pretended to be looking around. "Hey boys!" he greeted with a grin on his face. "You hear that ruckus earlier?"

"Yeah, Max. What the hell was that?" one of the masked soldiers asked.

Max shrugged slightly and lowered the flashlight, "Must be a mouse, whatever it is I'll handle it. Go ahead and get back to work." He nodded to them then turned around to enter the hanger once again. He jogged towards the back and searched for Byte. He grinned slightly after seeing a slender figure wrapped around in a lengthy silver parachute.

"The coast is clear," he chuckled and joined her. He embraced her tightly as she let go of the cloth. Soon, only their silhouettes were visible from behind the cloth. He leaned down and kissed her lightly on the lips. "You still mad at me?" he asked as he pulled away.

"Not as much," Byte replied. She continued kissing him on the lips then the neck just as he continued to undress her.

He held on to her tightly as his left hand swiftly unzipped her top. Holding her close, he tried to move a bit but stumbled. Literally, he stumbled and Byte landed on her back and he landed on top of her. He didn't land on her hard since he put his arms out in front of him along the way. He stared down at her for a moment but before he could do anything more, she pulled him gently by the collar and kissed him deeply.


	13. Damien

The next morning Byte awoke suddenly to the sound of engines starting. She sat up quickly and nudged Max, "Wake up!" She then wrapped some of the parachute material around her naked body as she went on a search for her clothes. She moved back toward the sleeping man and nudged him. After a few nudges and shakes, she saw him finally stir. "It's morning! Get up, Max!" She managed to get her pants on and her top zipped up and ready to go. Suddenly she gasped. "Max! Wake up! Help me find something." She then tossed him his complete pile of clothes.

He yawned and stretched before rubbing his eyes. "What do you need help with?" he asked. He soon got up and placed some of his clothes back on. He let his top hang over his pants for he was just too comfortable to tuck in his shirt.

"Just help me find something," Byte mumbled as she tossed various cloths over her head. She sighed deeply and placed her hands on her hips. "God I hope I didn't lose it. Where could it be?"

"Where could what be?" he finally asked as he ran his fingers through his hair once. To him, that was called brushing his hair.

"My bra!" Byte said loudly, sounding frustrated.

"Byte, come in Byte. Where are you?" she heard Java say over the headset.

"Oh Commander Java, I believe she's gone to the airplane hanger," she heard one of the guards say. She sighed deeply. "What? What's going on?" she finally said. Then the morning light hit her as the doors finally slid open. Guards stood on either side of the entrance while Java walked through the door.

"What are you doing in here?" Java asked. She stopped in front of an exasperated looking Noelle. "You're supposed to be patrolling the city with me today, kid. And…" she trailed off. All of a sudden she shot a look behind Noelle and her jaw dropped slightly.

Byte followed her gaze and found Max. He was still half clothed, with his back to them, twirling a red lacy bra around his index finger. She stepped out in front of Java, prepared to explain her actions.

But it just didn't work out that way. He strolled up behind Byte without any knowledge of Java standing right in front of Byte. "Hey I found your uh oh-"

Java glared at Max then to Byte. "Max, go on and run back to the base. Leave that….thing here," she told him firmly. [i]_"Where did she find this? It's cute."[/i]_

Byte snatched the bra from him and watched Max leave. Again, she stepped in front of Java, "I can explain."

"Explain what? The fact that you spent the night in an airplane hangar and had a bit of what do you call it…sex?" Java raised a brow. "Really, Noelle, do you think this whole thing needs an explanation?" At this point, Java's sarcasm stung Byte worse than a bee.

The girl sighed and then crossed her arms. "You forgot that I also flew out with him," she added sarcastically. "Okay fine. Maybe I did have sex. So what? It's not like you're so pure yourself."

"That's because I'm older than you," Java replied.

"And also married! Come on Java, you can't punish me for doing something you do too. I mean what are you gonna do? Send me to a convent?"

"As of now I'd like to! Noelle you're my daughter, not just some Techno brat. I can tell you right here right now that this isn't going to Ram. But you still have to suffer for breaking [i]_my[/i] _rules. Your punishment for sneaking out and flying in a plane," Java sighed, "Damn, you flew out in a plane?" She shook her head. "You flew with a boy I obviously don't approve of. Your punishment goes as follows: First, you are to patrol the city with me for the next several days. It may sound easy but I'm having you deal with the virts instead of me. Second, you're not allowed to see Max without one of my guards standing by." She sighed slightly. Her gaze followed after Byte who just stared at the ground, obviously feeling the guilt. "Look Noelle, I was once your age and I have to say that I'm just doing this for your own good. I don't want you to turn out like me. Look, I'm just trying my best to be a good parent and all."

Java's words surprised her. She'd never seen her speak so whole heartedly to anyone except Siva. It was weird but she appreciated it. "Thanks…um I understand," she said quietly.

She nudged Noelle slightly and began walking out of the airplane hangar. "Come on, Nuisance, the city doesn't patrol itself now." She looked down at Noelle, noticing something shiny on her finger. "What's that?"

Noelle looked over to her, wide eyed.

She sighed and shook her head. "Max gave you that didn't he," she said.

"Yes, he did."

"Well I'm sure as hell that thing isn't a purity ring. So what is it?"

"It's…um…"

"It's a promise ring, isn't it? The promise that you two will one day get married," Java declared finally. The tone of her voice clearly expressed her disappointment. She finally stopped at one of the market stands while Noelle grabbed a candy bar. It was at this time that she realized that her daughter was no longer the kid she used to be. Tears brimmed over her eyes as she tried to hide her emotions from her. She quickly wiped the tears away before looking back at Noelle.

"Java if you're mad…"

Java shook her head. "No, no, no, I'm not mad at you or anything. Just…um…hey…if it makes you happy, go ahead. Just don't do it too early because you're still my little girl." She then glanced at Noelle who had a slight smile on her face. "Oh shut up. Give me that!" She snatched the candy bar out of Noelle's hands and began munching on it.

"Hey! Don't eat it all!" Byte exclaimed.

"What. I'm doing you a favor. These things are bad for you," Java replied, her mouth half full with candy.

"Oh fine. These things just go straight to the thighs anyway."

Java stopped eating for a moment, feeling a small pang of guilt. She thought about it for a moment and shrugged. "It's alright. I can run it off. Let's go back to HQ, kid, and while we're walking you better tell me how he did it. I wanna know every detail."

Byte smiled and turned to Java, "Alright so remember that virt he was talking to? Yeah he was cutting a deal with her."

As the both of them walked back to the hotel, Byte told Java everything…well almost everything. She didn't include what happened after Max brought the plane back to the hangar. She assumed that Java could just put her imagination to use if she wanted to.

Upon arrival, Byte went back to her room where she changed into some exercise clothes while Java sat outside. She sat on a lawn chair, soaking up the sun. Just as she was about to get up, Byte came outside.

Java watched as she grabbed a towel on a nearby rack then moved over to the guy with the pads…also known as her sparring partner. She then tossed the towel on a bench and clenched her fists and took to her fighting stance.

"Alright, come on Byte…give me everything you've got," the guy said. He too took on the same stance with his knees and elbows bent and his fists clenched.

After about three seconds of waiting, Byte attacked him. She threw a punch to his liver then managed to get his face just as he faltered. The guy then retaliated with a swing at her but he missed. She kicked him in the chest then tried to throw a punch to his face but he caught her fist. She twisted her way out of his grip and suddenly there was a 160 pound man on the floor. "Gotta work on your aim, Damien," she growled.

He got to his feet quickly and gripped the nearby bow staff. Byte also grabbed one as well and the two were at it again. Java watched with interest as she rested her head on her hand. "Go Noelle go," she muttered. Boy did this kid give Noelle quite a challenge. If it was Max out there, he might've given up the fight within seconds.

Damien swung at her but again, she blocked the attack before retaliating with her staff. She gritted her teeth as she attacked him. She swung at him then shoved the tip of the staff toward him. He then attacked over her head, a form of trickery that she fell for. She blocked the staff over her head and then Damien took the staff and simply spanked her.

Both Byte and Java winced…well Java winced for her. Byte inhaled deeply, the hit stung and it felt much worse than a spanking. She breathed deeply and suddenly [b]**WHACK! [/b]**She snapped the bow staff in half and made them into a pair of Kali sticks- a type of weapon used in Filipino martial arts; they were like nun chucks, just separated. She attacked him by smacking the sticks against his bow staff. She managed to get a few hits on him as well and when she could sense he was weakening, she disarmed him quickly. "Well done, Byte," he whispered. "You ready for that game?"

"Of course I am," she replied. She then took the towel off the bench and wiped herself off a bit.

"Yeah? Well if you don't mind…would you like to give me some pointers on the bow staff?"

She nodded then took the bow staff from him as she watched him take off the pads. It revealed that he was actually built like a martial artist; he had a narrow waist but very toned arms and legs. He had an angular face which contained a strong chin and a pair of deep blue eyes that could stop a girl in her tracks if she dared to look at them. On top of his head was a black and red faux hawk…something he called a hairstyle. "Alright, the one thing you have to work on is your grip. You're holding it too loose and you're not holding it…well…correctly." As she explained the technique to him, all he could do was stare. "See, if you hold it with the right amount of force, your opponent can't get it out of your hands no matter how hard they try, go on…try it." Damien smirked as he tried to knock the bow staff out of her hands but didn't get any luck. He tried and tried and tried until she maneuvered so he was up against a wall with the tip of the bow staff aimed at his throat. She smirked as she stared at the guy.

"Good to know," he gulped. Byte let him free shortly after and tossed him the bow staff before walking off. His eyes chased after her as a slight grin came upon his face.

Java strolled back into the hotel after Byte went in and headed for the black room. "Have we got the broadcast ready?" she asked the guards nearby.

"Yes, Commander we do."

"Good, now we start rolling in five minutes. I want Byte here and ready to go in two minutes, got that?" Java moved toward a chair and took a seat. She began to type up the broadcast for Byte then when she finished she grabbed the printed copy and stood patiently at the door. When Byte came through the doors looking like her normal self, she handed her the papers. "You ready?"

"Yeah," Byte replied. She took a seat in front of the camera and let her eyes graze over the words carefully before the cameras started up. She looked up once more and found the camera person signaling to her that they were just about ready to shoot.

"My fellow citizens, as part of the up and coming broadcasts on City Net, I'd like to introduce a new show called 'A New Hope'. It features me, Byte, Commander of the Technos. Join me as I battle through time and space to retrieve the key to the city before it falls into the wrong hands. Don't you worry though; you all will be able to participate in the game through various ways. Stay tuned and watch the first episode of 'A New Hope.'" The camera stopped rolling and Byte proceeded into the Black Room. Her heart began to beat quickly out of anxiety and excitement. "Alright, I'm ready," she sighed.

Java handed Noelle a reality space visor then smirked. "Go kick some ass, kid."

Everything went dark for just a moment when she put on the visor.

Now she found herself in the middle of the city where ash and rubble were prevalent. Right across from her was an old run down building, its grey walls now tagged with graffiti. She entered the building but upon doing so she heard crying. It sounded like a child crying, high pitched and sporadic. "Who's there?" she called out, her voice echoing throughout the building.

She didn't receive a reply. Now she walked up the stairs carefully where she felt something brush against her leg. Immediately Byte brought out a small dagger and turned to see who it was. No one was there. Her heart began to race as she moved toward the remaining room of the building. Now she heard cries turn into screams as she got closer and closer. "Show yourself!" she commanded and stepped out from behind a corner.

Here she found a small girl hanging off the edge of a pole. Byte ran over to her and dove on top of the pole where she was hanging from. "Gotcha!" she said after grabbing the little girl's hand. She pulled her back to safety and looked back at the girl's hands. Her left hand was severely burnt to the point where the meat of her hand was showing. "Oh no," she muttered and then ripped off a piece of her shirt then wrapped the little girl's hands. She concentrated deeply on it, her gaze set on the large burn on the girl's left wrist.

This seemed all too familiar to Byte. Only Ram would do such a thing. She sighed as she finished wrapping up the girl's hands then looked up at her. Byte was startled; she fell back as soon as she saw the girl's face.

Now the girl's face had become disfigured as she cried. As Byte backed away the girl's cries turned to groans and fits of laughter. "You afraid of me, Byte?" the little girl asked. She came toward her but Byte got up and ran off.

"What's going on?" Byte asked as she got out a revolver from her pocket. She found rope hanging from the ceiling. She climbed it quickly as she heard footsteps from behind her. The little girl she once saw now turned into a man and this man was after her.

He grinned slightly as he saw where Byte hid. "Why don't you come down here?" he asked as he brought out a crossbow. He shot a few arrows at her but missed.

She looked down at him and wrapped her right leg around the rope tightly. She let go of the rope altogether and shot at the man as she hung upside down on the rope by just her leg. She cocked the gun now on her last bullet. She aimed carefully and shot. With that one shot, she shot him right between the eyes.

In the real world, the crowd watching her cheered. In the computer room everyone had a smile on their face as they watched one of their own kind move the way she did in Reality Space.

_"That's my girl,"_ Java thought then she smiled proudly.

Byte climbed down the rope carefully as she retrieved part of the key that she needed for the game. She then ran out of the building quickly. As soon as she got about 50 yards from it, the whole building was engulfed by flames.

She stopped for a moment to catch her breath. Then she proceeded to walk away from the area but suddenly the world around her went black. Now she found herself in the black room with a few guards standing over her. She took the helmet off and smirked slightly. "That was refreshing," she commented sarcastically.

Java walked into the room alongside Ram. "Byte, that was a nice show," she said while Ram wheeled his way next to the girl.

"Very very good Byte. I am so proud of you; you deserve a much needed rest. Go on, get changed in whatever you want, I am just so happy. Pretty soon the virts will be eating right out of our hands thanks to you…and me," Ram said.

Byte got up slowly and walked out of the black room. Once she was outside, the bright lights hit her and she immediately felt a surge of pressure hit her head. She paused for a moment. She then gripped the edge of a chair near her as she almost toppled over.

"Noelle, you okay?" Java asked as she stood behind her.

She shook her head and just continued walking toward her room. "I'm fine thanks," she quietly replied. She sighed for a moment then turned back to Java, "You watched the whole thing didn't you?"

"Yeah of course I did."

Byte stared at her for a moment. "Do you know how Ram recreated such a scene?"

"What do you mean?" Java asked now beginning to walk with Byte back to her room.

"Java, come on. Didn't that look all too familiar? How the hell did Ram know about that?" she asked, growing a bit frustrated.

"I really don't know, kid. I swear I don't. You know Ram though; he has so many things up his sleeve that he may be using the Reality Space visors to dig into your memories or even mine," Java explained. "I mean, that's what the system is based on."

She muttered a few things under her breath as she swung the door open in her room. "It's so…perverted of him."

"Then why do you agree to these things, Noelle?"

Byte shot a look back at Java. "I don't agree to these things! I'm forced to do it!" she exclaimed. "Look, if Ram wants to use my memories against me be my guest. I've lived through them once; I can probably do it again. This doesn't mean that he can broadcast it to the public though."

"So? Why are you telling me this? Tell him yourself," Java replied.

"You're his wife remember?"

This struck a chord with Java. For the last couple days she'd forgotten that she was married to a man she supposedly loved whom she also cheated on. She sighed softly and looked back at her daughter. "I hate when you're right!"


	14. Attraction

Within five and a half weeks, Byte had already gotten at least half of the key that she needed. Also by this time the show received great praise by the virts and Byte was now somewhat of a celebrity in the city. "I hate you, you know that right?" Byte slipped on the black leather outfit, the same outfit from the game. Java glanced over at her with a slight smile as a way to tease her.

"Oh come on, kid. I don't like it either but hey…a promo's a promo," she replied. "If I had it my way, you'd be more covered up and not looking like a fantasy toy for the men around here."

"And what would you be having me look like? A nun?" Byte asked from afar. She stepped out of the bathroom, certainly dressed to impress. Although this time instead of all of the midriff, she put a corset over the bra-type top that she had on in the first place. "Alright, I'm ready," she said.

Java shook her head as she saw that the back to her top was untied. "Turn around…you missed a spot," she said. Once Noelle was turned around, she pulled the strings tightly and suddenly she yanked the last few strings which caused Noelle to gasp sharply.

"Can't breathe, Java," Byte squeaked.

"Sorry, sorry, sorry," Java said frantically as she loosened the strings up a little bit. "Better?"

"Much." Byte followed after Java into the hallway. There she spotted McNeal, the guard, and Damien. She nodded to the two of them as she walked side by side to Java.

"Both of you are gonna be standing by on the promo. Make sure nothing happens to Byte, ya got that?"

The room began to spin slightly and her head began to feel light. Byte stopped walking for a moment and leaned against the wall.

"You okay?" Java asked as she neared her.

"Fine," she replied, getting to her feet once again. She followed behind Java slowly.

"Okay. Come on then," she said and led Byte by the arm. "So, you're going to speak nicely and properly…"

"Uh huh," she muttered. She stopped in her tracks for a second and lost her balance slightly. She toppled over but caught herself.

"Noelle, you don't look so good," Java said, now concerned. She held her by the arm and stopped the walking.

"I'm fine, don't worry," she managed to say. Her knees suddenly gave out and she landed on the ground with a loud "THUD" and Java's effort to catch the girl proved fruitless as she only caught her head.

"Oh dear god, she's fainted," Java said to herself. She pressed on her headset, "Okay…um hold off the crowd for a moment. I need someone to help me out in the east wing…bring some smelling salts as well." She kneeled down next to Noelle and sighed. The girl looked pale and flushed. It was the contrast to her usually golden and energetic appearance. "Byte, honey, wake up," Java said. She gently shook her arm then slapped her softly on her cheek.

It only took a couple of minutes to get the smelling salt. Java carefully grabbed one of them and placed it under Byte's nose. After a few seconds, the girl suddenly woke up by sitting up quickly. Along the way though, she head butted Java to which she fell back slightly.

"So glad you're up," Java said as she rubbed her forehead. Now her head was pounding. She sighed deeply and got to her feet to help Byte up. "It's okay…just walk it off," she muttered to herself and to Byte, who was also rubbing her head. "Off you go to your promo."

Byte nodded as she was escorted out by Damien and McNeal. Upon exiting the hotel, she was greeted by a large crowd of people. There she stood next to Java, who introduced the new star.

"How do you all like the new show?" Java asked. In reply the crowd cheered and clapped their hands. "We've got a wonderful appearance today from your very own Byte, the star of 'A New Hope'! Let's all give her a warm welcome!"

The crowd roared as Byte approached the podium. "Thank you Java," she said and smiled. "Hello and good morning to you all. I'm so excited to be here today. First off, I'd just like to thank all of you for watching and supporting the show. It truly raises my spirits just knowing that I could appeal to such an awesome crowd so please keep watching and I hope you all enjoy the new show."

After she spoke she was handed a crossbow. Confused, she looked over at Java, who then gestured over to a hoop that hung from the top of the building. She aimed and fired an arrow. It passed through the hoop and suddenly a poster rolled down the side of the building. It showed a forest in the middle of winter and Byte, with a smirk, holding the crossbow as if she was about to shoot the person looking at the poster.

Finally Byte was brought down to the crowd where she signed a few autographs. Thankfully two guards were there to protect the girl while Java oversaw everything. After signing a few autographs, she grew tired once more. Now she felt a bit weak. "Get me outta here," she muttered to Damien.

Damien nodded and grabbed her by the wrist. Then he brought her back into the hotel where he sat her down. "Here, have some water," he said then handed her a bottled water.

She took a sip of it and sighed. "No, that doesn't help," she said. Now she felt a pang of nausea come over her as she tried to get up.

"It must be all that Reality Space…it's getting to you," Damien said. He kneeled down for a moment to reach eye contact with her. "I didn't know this would happen to you, I'm sorry."

"Don't be. You're not the one who created the game in the first place," Byte murmured. She then stood up and excused herself. "Thank you for your assistance, Lieutenant."

"It's really no problem," he replied. He watched her leave for a moment. _"What a beauty," _he thought.

Meanwhile, Byte caught up with Java in the halls. She stopped for a moment as Java ordered around some more guards.

"Get all the virts out of here," she said to the guard then looked back at her. She reached her hand out and nudged Byte on the shoulder as a way to get her to start walking again. "So tell me about this Damien kid. I watched you two spar and I've got to say the Lieutenant is pretty good."

She shook her head and rolled her eyes, "He's nobody…just someone I train with."

"You sure about that, Noelle? If you ask me, I think you two would make a nice couple."

"Yeah, couple of people. C'mon, I have Max. I think you just like Damien for me just because he's a Lieutenant."

"Yeah, that is true but there's a reason as to why he's got that position and not Max. He's smarter, obviously works harder, he's loyal and he's cuter." Java then turned a corner and the two of them found themselves in front of the gym. "He's in there with McNeal…how pleasant."

Damien was on his back as he slowly lifted the barbell as McNeal spotted him, standing by just in case he couldn't handle the weight. His muscles bulged as he lifted the 200 pounds and he gritted his teeth. Clearly he could handle it. He placed the barbell back carefully on to the rack and got up. He crossed his arms over his bare torso as he smirked, "Hey man, that Byte chick…she's pretty raw." His bright blue eyes darted back toward McNeal who just had a smirk on his face

"Yeah, she's a tough girl," he said.

"She's pretty too," Damien added. "What do you think?"

He shook his head before giving Damien a slight smile, "Hey, man...you know she's Max's girl, right? I don't think he'll like this very much."

"She's Max's?" Damien sighed to which McNeal simply nodded.

_"I still think I should go for it. Max is gonna be gone for a while and…oh hell we could just start off as friends,"_ Damien thought. He looked out of the gym window to find the lovely girl speaking with Java. He smiled at the thought of her being his while he went back to exercising.

"You're sure you haven't seen Max?" Byte asked Java. In reply Java shook her head.

"Walk with me, kid," Java muttered. She linked arms with her daughter as the two of them walked. "You know what's funny, Noelle? Your name actually means Christmas in French. Now if you count exactly nine months back from your birthday, September 25th, what day would you get?"

Byte counted back quickly then looked back at Java, "Christmas Day. Now why would that be funny? What happened?"

She smiled slightly before answering her daughter's question, "Wouldn't you like to know." she smirked. She looked back at Noelle.

Noelle looked at her mother with furrowed eyebrows and her mouth slightly agape. She couldn't speak. "That's disgusting, Java!" she said after a few seconds of just staring at Java disgustedly.

"Oh come on, kid. You know you wouldn't have been born if it wasn't for me!"

She shook her head, now eager to go back to work. "I can't believe we're having this conversation!"

Java disregarded the last few comments made by Byte. "You know, I wasn't as strict as I am now. I was actually quite limber."

"And let me guess, Noah liked that a lot?"

"Oh yes he did. I was limber in many ways. He enjoyed it. I enjoyed it. Oh those days," Java smirked.

"I can't…I can't," Byte paused for a moment, "I can't handle this!" Frantic, she walked off as Java giggled.

A few guards passed by and a couple stood on their marks before she yelled out: "Hey! It's good to know you inherited my ass!" She saw Noelle's jaw drop to the floor while she then grabbed a purple folder to cover up her bum. "Back to work! All of you!" she heard Noelle say.

Meanwhile, Siva stood outside the mall alongside Lex. [i]_"I can't believe I'm doing this. I can't believe I'm doing this. God I hope they'll like me here,"[/i] _she thought. "Lex, are you sure about this? What if they don't like me?"

He looked over to her and wrapped his strong arms around her. "I'm sure, Siva. Don't worry about it okay? You're safe now and out of the hands of that creep."

"But me and our baby living here?"

"Would you prefer a safe place or a nice clean jail cell?"

Alright so he was right. She sighed softly and grabbed his hand. "Alright," she muttered as Lex placed a hand over her four month bump.

_**Flashback**_

Nine weeks earlier, Siva sat on a hospital bed while she awaited news from one of the medics. [i]_"What's wrong with me? Damn I haven't been sick in so long…I hope it's not another virus coming around,"[/i] _Siva though_. _She sighed apprehensively and watched the medic come back in the room with a few papers. "Commander, would you consent to an ultrasound? According to the tests we did, it seems as if you're pregnant."

"What," Siva muttered. She looked at the medic wide eyed. "You've got to be kidding me! I can't be! Hell no!" she yelled, her voice getting higher pitched with each word that came out of her mouth.

"Well we have to do this ultrasound just to confirm. Who knows, maybe the tests didn't read correctly," the medic told her.

"Alright, alright," she sighed. "Let's do it."

Within moments, nurses brought out the machine and they began the process. At first they didn't hear a thing but suddenly a heartbeat came up on the machine. The medic looked to Siva and nodded his head. "Congrats, Commander, it looks like you're about eight weeks pregnant."

Once the medic and the nurses put away the machine, Siva sat up. _"This can't be happening. What am I gonna do? Ram obviously couldn't have gotten me pregnant…should I just tell Lex? No…I can't get rid of the baby. One way or another, I'm having this baby with or without Lex." _

_**End of flashback**_

Siva entered the mall with Lex. She took a good look around the place and was still in disbelief. Here she was, a pregnant Techno who just left her lavish lifestyle to live amongst virts in an almost dilapidated mall. _"Just do it, Siv. It's for the better."_

"Alright everyone, this is Siva. She's gonna be staying with us from now on," Lex said bravely. He set down a couple bags of hers as he approached Pride and the others. "Please, just let her stay."

"How do we know she isn't a spy? Don't bring her in here," Pride said.

"She isn't a spy. Look, she's pregnant with my child."

Siva looked at the two men and shook her head. "Lex, this is all just a bad idea. I should just-"

"No, Siva. You're not going anywhere," Lex replied.

Salene finally stepped in and walked toward the former Techno. She bent over slightly then picked up one of her bags. "I'll show you to your room," she said. She smiled and then looked up at Pride. "Remember…all of you remember…we are Mallrats and Mallrats never leave anyone in need behind."

At that moment three Techno guards entered the building followed by Byte. Each of them set down a crate then Byte tossed a crowbar to Lex. "You'll be needing that," she said.

All of the Mallrats stared while Pride came down the stairs. "What do you want?" he asked.

"Nothing from you. This is Siva's stuff, I'm just delivering it here," Byte replied. She then moved over to Siva and grabbed her by the arm. She pulled her aside toward the Phoenix statue. "You sure about this, Siv? I mean look at them…"

"Yes, I'm sure. They're here to help," she quietly replied.

Byte sighed deeply as she shook her head "The crazy things you do for love," she looked over at her aunt, "take care of yourself." She nodded to her, about to leave until Siva grabbed Byte by the arm and gave her a tight hug.

"Thank you so much, Noelle," she whispered and then pulled away, now holding Byte by the shoulders. "Take care of yourself too."

On that note Byte smiled slightly. "Don't forget, I'm coming by the visit once my cousin's born. I'm not out of your life just yet," she smirked.


	15. Intensity

Her hands shook as she felt the next wave of nausea come over her. Quickly, she grasped the edge of the toilet seat and ducked her head in. She heard a knock on the door and instantly became frustrated. "Fuck off!" She then kicked the door as a form of retaliation to the echoing knock. Thank god the person did as she told them and left her. Glancing back up at the bathroom counter, she spotted the slim white stick that she just used a few minutes ago. She grabbed it quickly along with the directions that lay next to it. She stared at the stick then her eyes darted back to the directions. The stick and directions dropped to the floor while she buried her face in her hands. Byte tried to keep it together but the shock of it all just got to her. _"God this can't be happening. What's Java gonna think? I have to tell her because everything will only become more obvious within nine months. But I have to tell Max first. Brace yourself, Noelle…it could get ugly. Stuff like that does indeed happen…look at mom. He loves me though…but would this change that?" _

She scrambled to get off the floor. For the next two minutes, she fixed herself up to look decent enough. Afterwards, she walked out of her room casually then made her way toward the computer room. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she did so and they just kept coming. No matter what she did, she couldn't stop.

Then she heard "the voice". No, it wasn't the voice of God. It was the voice of the person she hated to disappoint; the person whom she happened to connect the most with; the person whose reaction she most feared at this point; the person known as her mother.

"Noelle, what happened?" Java asked.

Byte shook her head, said nothing and continued along her way. Then she saw Jay come out of his room and soon she found herself between the two people she dreaded interacting with.

"Byte, you alright?" Jay asked as he stepped right out in front of her, blocking her path.

"I'm fine, thanks," she muttered as she tried to push her way past him but he wouldn't let up. Frustrated, she turned to Java, who idly stood there as if she was watching a TV show. "Do something about this," she said sternly.

"Come on, Jay. Won't you ease up on the girl today?" she asked and like magic, Jay stepped aside.

"Thank you," Byte said quietly. She soon found herself in the middle of the hallway, in front of her mother. After a moment, she took a seat at the end of the hallway…a mini lounge if you will.

Something was wrong, she could feel it. The kid didn't seem like her normal self, she could tell just by Noelle's appearance. She looked pale and just plain exhausted. "You alright, kid? You seem very…I dunno…different today."

She glanced up at her then shook her head. "What do you mean by different?" she asked.

Java moved over next to her. "Well honestly…ya look like crap," she bluntly said while she took a seat in the black leather chair.

"Thanks."

She smirked slightly. "I meant that you just look exhausted. Is the game tiring you out or something? Or is it because Siva's been gone for the past week?"

"No, I um…" Byte paused for a moment then just shook her head. She was hesitant to tell Java or even speak to her at this point.

Java saw the reluctance. Something had to be seriously wrong with the kid. It wasn't like her at all to be this quiet and this patient. "C'mon…you can tell me anything. I thought you knew that and besides, I'm worried about you, Noelle. If you're not exhausted or working too much then can you please explain your behavior lately? Come on, kid…you fainting? It's not you."

"I know it's not me…I don't know what is anymore," Byte muttered softly.

Java stared at the young girl. She was confused as to why Noelle would say such a thing. From that statement she knew bad news was coming and she knew her daughter well enough to concur that Noelle wouldn't be telling her the news immediately. She had to be patient with her because she knew that she'd do the same exact thing.

She couldn't tell her now, she wasn't ready. It wasn't a matter of breaking the news to her that held her back, it was the matter of how Java would react. "You know what? I…um…I gotta get to work. See ya."

Java sighed. "See ya, kid. Get better now."

Byte hastily walked down the halls, passing the computer room along the way. She came to a stop in front of Max's room and she knocked loudly.

Damien watched Byte for a second and approached her carefully. "Max is out at the moment," he said now standing next to her.

"What are you, his secretary?" she smirked before walking past him.

"No…no…I just thought I'd let you know. You seem very-"

Byte sighed out of frustration and sharply stared at him. "I seem very what. High strung? Tired? Now get out of my way then maybe I won't be any of those things."

"I meant to say hasty but hey, whatever floats your boat. So tell me, Commander, what's got you all hasty?"

"Nothing. I just need to speak to Max. Now move out of my way," Byte replied. She stepped aside but Damien stepped in front of her. She tried moving away from him once again but he blocked her again. "This some sort of game you like to play?"

He disregarded the question and smiled. "So what's on your mind?" he asked.

"There's some ass in my way, it's quite annoying," Byte sighed as she looked up at him.

He smirked and bent over. He then poked her bum with his finger, "You mean this ass?"

"Pervert," Byte scoffed.

"Uptight," he smiled.

"Obnoxious."

"Twat," Damien then raised an eyebrow as Byte couldn't think of anything else to say. "Looks like we're even," he said to her. She raised her hand toward him, just about to slap him. Once she brought her hand down to do so, he caught it. He laced his fingers around hers and inched closer toward her.

Byte angrily looked up at him and sighed.

"So, won't you tell me what's bothering you? Obviously you seemed to relax a little bit with that sigh of yours. Perhaps it's the fact that we haven't taken it a step further than just holding hands." Damien's face then inched closer to hers.

She smirked and inched closer towards him. "I wouldn't dream of it," she whispered then shook her hands free from his and walked off.

The only thing that touched his lips was her hot breath. He watched her walk off as he let his finger touch his lips. He smirked slightly then walked off in the other direction.

"Boys want what they can't have," Java smirked as she watched the two kids on the computer monitor. She then turned around and found Max behind her. "Hey Max have you spoken to Noelle lately? She seems a bit off today."

He shook his head. "No, I'm sorry."

At that moment, the door swung open and Byte walked in. She grabbed Max by the hand then pulled him outside while shutting the door. "Max, I know you're busy…I'm sorry to disturb but I...I…really need to talk to you right now," Byte said quickly.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa…hold on baby. You're speaking too fast. What's going on?" Max said calmly with a slight smile.

She inhaled deeply then exhaled before looking up at him. "Do you love me?" she asked, slightly exasperated.

"What?"

"Just answer the question," Byte sighed.

"Yes I do, you know that. What's going on, Byte?" he asked, now concerned.

She shook her head as she felt herself become more nervous than ever. Tears began to form in her eyes as she tried to speak.

Max stared down at her, took her by the hand and began leading her back to his room. Once there she held the door open for her and walked in after her. After seeing her sit down, he knelt on the ground so that he was at eye level with her. "What's wrong, baby?" he asked once more. He then let his hands rest on the sides of her knees.

"Max, I'm pregnant," she muttered quietly.

He took his gaze off her for a moment, trying to absorb the sentence she just said. "Wha…what."

"I'm pre-"

"Yes I know what you just said," he said. He ran his hands through his hair with his eyes widened slightly. "I can't believe it," he said with a sigh. He stood up for a second and paced around his room.

Byte just watched him as tears now flowed down her cheeks. [i]_"Please…Max please don't be like Noah,"[/i] _she thought.

Max looked back at her and noticed the tears flowing. He knelt down once more and wrapped his arms around her waist. "No, baby it's not like that. I'm not angry or anything." He then pressed his forehead against hers. "It's alright," he smiled, "everything's alright." After seeing her smile, he pulled away and kissed her on the forehead. "Have you told Java?"

Byte shook her head. She sighed softly after glancing at the door. "She's who I'm afraid to tell."

"She's been through it though. Wouldn't you think she'd be the most supportive? She's your mom and I mean…c'mon she cares so much about you. She may be disappointed at first but she'll come around. I know for a fact she will."

"What makes you think that?"

"Well," he sighed, "if I know you that well then I think I know her that well."

Outside in the hall, Java walked toward her room. She whistled a tune as she walked through the door. After collapsing on her bed, she gave a sigh of relief, relief that her work day was over. She looked around in her room for one of her shirts. It was a purple and black plaid button down shirt that Byte had "stolen" from her two days before.

_**Flashback**_

"Oh hell no! You're not borrowing that one!" Java said loudly as Byte brought out her favorite plaid button down.

"Why not? It looks better on me anyway," Byte replied as she took the hanger out of the shirt.

"You've tried it on before?" she asked as she raised a brow at the kid.

"Yes."

"When?" Java asked then placed a hand on her hip.

"Just now," Noelle smiled.

She scoffed as she came closer to the girl. "Alright, joke's over. Give it."

Reluctantly, Byte handed the shirt back over to her. "Fine," she sighed. She then continued to "shop" in her mother's closet. She pulled on a drawer on the bottom of her armoire. The contents of the drawer made her scream.

"What? What'd you find?"

"Your lingerie drawer," Byte said and closed the drawer immediately.

Java chuckled. "Alright, c'mon kid. It's not like you're out to impress Max or anything, just put something on."

"Fine fine fine," she said quickly. She smirked and grabbed a shirt from another hanger. She walked into the bathroom to change. Once out she smiled. "Would you rather have me wear this then?" she asked. What she wore was a red top that revealed more cleavage than she needed.

Java looked over to Byte and shook her head. She stared down at the ground then blindly handed the purple and black shirt to her. "You get that thing dirty, Noelle, I swear I'll kill you," she said with a light smirk.

Byte smiled and changed into the shirt in the bathroom again. This time her outfit was complete. She wore the button down shirt open with a grey tank top inside, some short denim shorts, and some black sandals.

She looked over her daughter's outfit and noticed the shorts barely covered a third of the girl's thigh. "Oh no, no, no, no. Get some longer shorts on yourself."

"What, Java if I had worn this a few months a go, you wouldn't have cared."

"That's because a few months ago, I didn't tell you I was your mom," Java replied. She then turned to the door after hearing a knock.

"That would be Max, looks like it's too late to change," Byte said. She opened the door and smiled. "Hey there." She wrapped her arms around the boy as the boy did the same.

Java watched as Max's hands slowly slid down her daughter's back. She clapped loudly and simultaneously exclaimed: "Watch those hands, Max!"

The two kids looked back at Java. Byte of course glared slightly at her, but then eased up. "I'll see you soon," she said to her.

"Yeah. Don't come home drunk tonight," Java teased. She then went back into her room after shutting the door.

_**End of flashback**_

Java entered Byte's room carefully, in search of her favorite shirt. She opened a few drawers and also opened the girl's closet. She found nothing. She looked over Byte's bed and rifled through some of the sheets. Still nothing. _"Dammit I hope it's not in Max's room."_

She walked around and finally sighed. She couldn't find it in the girl's room. As she was just about to leave, she remembered one thing. The girl had a bathroom that connected to her room. Java waltzed over to the girl's bathroom and there she found the purple and black shirt. It hung from the towel rack loosely. She grabbed the shirt and examined it quickly, "Very good, Noelle."

Just as she was about to leave the bathroom, she felt her foot hit something and caused it to slide on the tile floor. She glanced down to see what it was. On the floor next to her foot was a small white stick with a pink plus sign at the end of it. Adjacent to the stick, she also saw some directions with a picture of the exact same stick on it. Instantly she knew what it was.

Quickly, Java grabbed a piece of toilet paper and used it to pick up the stick. She also picked up the directions and scanned over them carefully. Her eyes darted back and forth between the two and finally she shook her head. Tears fell from her eyes at this point but suddenly she heard the door to the adjacent room open. She peered out from the bathroom and saw that it was indeed her daughter. Java walked out carefully, not caring that tears were rolling down her face. "What is this, Noelle?" she asked firmly. She came closer to the kid, still holding the test in her hands. "Are you?" she said, her voice now quivering.

Her throat tightened as tears brimmed over her eyes. She wanted to speak but just couldn't come to terms with speaking to her mother. Instead she buried her face in her hands and let the tears flow, her breathing became sporadic.

That was enough of an answer for her. She shook her head while she watched her daughter slowly back away and head for the door. "Son of a bitch! Noelle!" Java screamed, stopping the girl in her tracks. She walked swiftly up to her and grabbed her by the arm before she dragged her back into the room. "How could you do this to me? How the hell could you do this to me?" she yelled, her voice quivering.

"You think I wanted this to happen? I didn't mean to disappoint you! Please just don't lecture me now. I've had enough!" Byte shouted.

Java scoffed before she replied to Byte. "Yeah? Well someone's gotta give you a damn lesson in responsibility! Jay or Mega won't do it but I will. You know why? Because I'm not afraid of hurting your feelings, because I know you can handle the truth…because you're strong. But right now you've shown none of it! This boy's made you weak that you're so fucking blind to see it. Look at you now! You're knocked up!" Java swung the door open. "Sometimes I question if you really are my daughter." She slammed the door shut after she stormed out.

"I thought you of all people would understand! I was just so foolish to even think that!" Byte screamed as she followed Java out.

Her eyes narrowed in on her. "You disappointed me, Noelle. I told you before and now I'm gonna repeat it again, lose the boy before he hurts you! I understand-" By this time both of them silenced the hallway with their powerful voices.

"Yeah? What is it that you understand now? You don't understand anything that I'm going through because you didn't have a guy that actually cared for you! Now you're nothing but a jealous bitch!" Byte yelled back. In response, Java's hand struck the girl's cheek. She felt the stinging immediately as she huffed.

"You don't know shit about your father. Think I'm a jealous person? Think what you want but all I know is that I tried to protect you from becoming like me. I gave you so much and now all you do is throw it back in my face." Java sighed deeply as she instantly regretted striking her daughter. "I didn't raise you to be like this!"

"That's right, you didn't. The person you raised was Byte, Commander of the Technos, not Noelle, your daughter." Byte finally turned her back to her and walked back to the computer room. "Don't even try to talk to me."

"Oh that's _so _mature, Noelle. Now get your ass back here, we need to talk!" Java yelled after Byte. The guards all stopped in their tracks and looked at both commanders.

"No! As far as I'm concerned it's a screaming match, why don't you save your voice for that General of yours!" Byte hollered.

Java gritted her teeth as she tried to contain her temper. "All of this wouldn't have happened if you had kept your knees shut and didn't become some whore to that boy!"

"Now you've done it, now I really hate you!" Byte yelled and turned around. "You're really one to talk, Java! You know at least I'm not going to be stupid enough to give this baby up!" she said. She noticed the other guards standing around and the usual bustling of other Technos had ceased.

She stared at Byte for a second, just hurt by her words. Now her heart beat out of anger as more tears formed in her eyes. "You're nothing to me now. I want you out of here. I can't even look at you right now," Java said lowly. She wiped her tears away quickly then walked off.


	16. Unbreakable

In the wake of dawn, the engines of the combat planes roared to life and black propellers spun against the lilac sky. Each of the green planes lined up side by side as a group of three, sometimes four, Technos boarded each plane. Among them was Max. By this time, his sandy blonde mane had been cut off which left him with nothing but a clean buzz cut. As he watched the purple sunrise, he slipped on his black leather jacket. He patiently awaited Noelle's arrival. He figured the girl would be late since he was leaving so early in the morning.

"Max, let's go," his mate said to him right before he entered the plane.

"No, she said she'd be here," Max replied. Just as he spoke though, he finally caught a glimpse of her. He watched her walk, absorbing every move she made with the knowledge that this could be his last time seeing her. As she was within arm's reach, he gently grabbed her cold hands.

Byte's hands shook as he grabbed her. She gazed down at the ground now as he pulled her closer to him.

Ever since the fight with Java three weeks ago, the girl wasn't the same. She had a certain frailty about her now and she wasn't that strong willed and outspoken girl she used to be. She didn't have motivation in completing the game and was less interested in her work as a Commander.

Max witnessed the girl's change in behavior, but felt that he couldn't do much about it. The argument was between herself and her mother. He wanted to do so much more to make her happy, but with his departure he knew it wouldn't make things any easier. Now as he stood in front of her, he wrapped his arms tightly around her. "Don't worry about me, okay?" he whispered into her ear then kissed her softly on the cheek.

As he held her, she could feel her throat tighten up while tears brimmed over her eyes. She struggled to speak clearly and instead she buried her face into his shoulder. "Okay," she said after a few moments.

He pulled away from her and took her face into his hands. He let his thumbs glide over her cheeks as her tears fell. Then he stared into her helpless green eyes, and sighed softly. "One way or another, I'll come back to you…and our baby."

She nodded as her tears were subdued. She wiped a few of them away quickly then backed away from him.

He watched her for a moment just as the sun's rays broke into the sky, filling it with its warmth. "I'll be seeing you," he nodded to her.

She moved even farther from him but she stopped herself. Suddenly she ran up to him and wrapped her arms around him to which he lifted her off the ground.

He held her tightly with one arm wrapped around her thighs and the other on her back. He looked up at her as he slid one hand up to the back of her head.

"I love you," she finally said to him before she kissed him on the lips.

He simply grinned, "I love you too." He put her back down on the ground and held on to her for one last time.

The two finally separated after a few moments. Max headed into the plane after Byte backed away from him for the last time. He nodded to her and gave her a small wave as the engine of the giant plane started up.

As Byte was escorted away from the runway she gave Max a small smile, something she hadn't done in a while. She watched now as the green plane sped off and became airborne. She sighed softly while she headed back into the hotel. She tried to keep herself from crying again but couldn't help it. Along the way through the halls, she passed Java, who simply glanced at the girl.

Three weeks was a record for the both of them; neither of them talked or even gave any acknowledgement to the other with the exception of Byte's game. The whole silence game was driving the two of them insane. But neither of them could swallow her pride to speak to the other.

Java may have been harsh with her words, but she felt the right to act the way she did. Noelle was her daughter for god's sake. After warning her several times about Max, the girl still kept him around. Her daughter disobeyed her and that was the main point. She needed to be reprimanded and Java's choices of words, she felt, were appropriate for the circumstance at hand. More so, Noelle had even disrespected her and of course that wouldn't be tolerated. Then again, slapping her wasn't so right either. She had become the person she never ever wanted to grow up to be. That person was her own mother, Camille.

Java didn't live the life of the average child. Fun parents? Hm, not so much. Fun siblings? Not really…except maybe for Siva. But being the eldest daughter, Java assumed the responsibility of taking care of her younger siblings. That usually meant protecting them from the alcoholic ways of Camille. Of course, with Ebony in the picture, Java was usually her scapegoat for many of her wrongdoings. Thus, Java would get the punishment unintentionally.

Many times, Java was beat and slapped by her own mother. Not only did she suffer from the physical abuse, she suffered the mental abuse. She was always under the impression that she was just a "dumb little fuck" according to her mother. It was from the age of six, the first time she was ever hit, that she vowed to never hit her own kids if she ever had any.

Yet here she was, doing the exact thing she promised herself she'd never do.

Later that night Java headed to the casino for some relaxation. That usually meant she was to bond with her friends: Vodka, rum, and tequila.

As the bartender saw the lady walk into the crowded casino, he brought out the three usual bottles as well as a couple shot glasses. "Good evening," he said to her with a slight nod, only to receive a nod in reply.

As Java took a seat on the black leather stool, she poured herself a shot of the vodka and drank it like water. "God I can't believe it, my daughter and I haven't talked in three weeks," she muttered to herself while she placed her forehead against the palm of her hand.

"So you're a mother," the bartender smiled with a raised a brow. "It must be hard out here for the both of you."

"What do you mean?"

The bartender set down his rag and poured her a shot of tequila, "Look around this place. Everyday's a struggle here. Everybody's got a wing man and I'm sure you two depend on each other greatly. But without that communication, who can you really trust out here besides her?"

She took the shot then sighed. "You're right. I mean, I have two sisters but one's a demon child and the other's living in La La Land."

"You don't have a man?"

She smirked at the question before she took one shot from each bottle on the counter. "Well ain't that a kicker. I have a husband, but the damn guy's psycho. Got another man but….it's complicated. My whole life's just complicated."

"Complicated huh?" he set down a glass of water and slid it toward her. "You're drowning your sorrows in three different types of alcohol. I hope tonight's the night where things will get uncomplicated for you."

"Thanks," she smirked. She then held up a shot glass full of tequila, now that it was added to the mix. "Cheers."

Their glasses clanked then the two of them drank.

Once Java drank about half the bottle of the vodka, she could feel the wave of drunkenness come over her. The room spun and she could feel herself become light headed while her feet became clumsy hooves. She turned around in her chair, only to see a familiar face in the crowd. It was her daughter. She scoffed and poured herself a glass full of rum.

Byte simply watched Java drink from the glass. From afar she could tell that her mother was pretty much hammered because of the way she so awkwardly poured the drink into her glass. She looked to Siva, who was standing next to her with her four month bump, and sighed. "Well, looks like a party in here," Byte commented sarcastically.

"C'mon kid, it's only your mom in here," Siva sighed as she led the girl to a table nearby. "Besides, you wanted to talk somewhere besides the mall."

As she sat down, she shook her head. "I don't know what to do anymore, Siv. I mean everyone's just leaving-"

Before she could continue, Java had gotten off her seat and made her way to the two of them. Byte simply watched as the drunken mess stumbled along the way. But after seeing her almost fall, she stood up. "Are you alright?" she asked Java.

"I'm fuckin` alright man!" Java exclaimed. She giggled slightly right before she leaned against the table. "It's Noelle," she laughed. She turned around after she spotted Siva and suddenly clung on to her. "My sister's here too!" she yelled. Suddenly, she hugged her sister tightly. "The whole gang is here!"

Siva looked over to Byte like a deer in the headlights. "Hey, how are you?"

"Welcome to the party, mate!" Java squealed suddenly.

Byte laughed since she'd never seen her own mother so…careless. But before she knew it, Java came over to her and clung to her like a koala on a eucalyptus tree. The woman's breath reeked of alcohol and her mannerisms were so clumsy that she too almost stumbled.

"Noelle, I love you! You're my favorite daughter!" she yelled then grinned.

"Well that's because I'm your only daughter."

"I know," Java replied quietly. She whined for a moment as a few tears started to flow. She held on even more to Noelle with her hands wrapped around the girl's side. "I know! And I screwed you up so badly! I'm sorry…"

"Let's get her out of here," Byte whispered to Siva.

"You need help?"

"No, no, I think I got it," she replied as she held up her mother a little.

"What did I do?" Java complained.

"You didn't do anything wrong. It's okay Java," Siva said reassuringly as she tried to get her to drink a glass of water.

Java pushed the water away while Noelle helped her walk out of the casino. "Okay, Java, I don't intend to carry you back to base, now could you please….wha…what are you doing?" she exclaimed as she watched Java get off her and take a few steps back.

"I'm gonna be alone," she cried. "I don't wanna be alone!"

Byte stepped toward her, "You aren't going to be alone. I'm still here, okay?"

The drunk nodded and slowly her knees began to give way. Byte was quick to catch her though. She adjusted herself so now she held her mother by piggyback. "God please don't puke on me," Byte muttered to herself.

Siva sighed softly while she walked with her, "You sure you're gonna be okay?"

"I don't think she can walk, Siv. So I think this might be the only way to get her back to base. Just open the door for me."

Siva smiled slightly as she watched Noelle carry her own body weight. "Well this was a fun night," she laughed. "You have to admit…this is pretty damn hilarious."

Byte shook her head as she walked with pretty much dead weight on her back. She knew she couldn't put too much stress on her body now that she was expecting. She took a few breaks every now and then with Siva faithfully behind her. As they neared the hotel, she handed Java a bottle of water that Siva was carrying. "Drink up," she said to her.

Java shook her head while she tried to drink from the bottle. She only took a few sips before she handed it back to Noelle. "I don't want anymore," she mumbled.

Byte huffed as she took a sip of the water as well. "Okay, well can you walk? I just about walked a mile with you on my back," she said while she tried to catch her breath. She saw the hotel about 100 yards away. Once she looked back to Java, she noticed that she was on her knees. "You alright?"

"The floor's spinnin," she replied.

"Well that's what you get for mixing drinks," Byte said. "Alright, c'mon…it's late." She then allowed Java to ride on her back once again.

As she walked back to the hotel, Java muttered some incoherent things against the girl's shoulder blade. "Byte…Noelle, I really regret…drinking tonight."

"Yep," she replied. "We have a little bit more to go."

Java nodded as she felt Byte strain up the stairs and head inside to the hotel. "Java, you have to be really quiet. Do not…do NOT yell," she whispered to her. She felt a nod in reply.

As Byte walked through the halls, she did so hastily and quietly. She then opened the door to her room and placed the drunk on her bed.

"This ain't my room," she said.

"I know," Byte muttered while tossed some pillows on the floor for her.

Once Java lay on the floor, she could still feel the room spin. Even when she closed her eyes, she felt like she was on some kind of roller coaster. "Noelle, c'mere," she whispered.

After she tossed a blanket, Byte kneeled down in front of her. "Yeah?"

She brought her hand up to her chest and took off a small silver necklace then placed it on Noelle. "I know you…purposely left this in my room. Thing is, kid, it isn't mine," she sighed as she lazily read over the quote on the coin-like charm. "It was always yours from the beginning. I…I dunno…I just wore it to wear it. But you," she smirked, "you wore it because it meant something to you."

Even though the woman's words were slurred, her theory made sense. Byte simply nodded then placed the blanket over her. "Goodnight," she muttered quietly. From there she slipped into the comfort of her bed. She sighed quietly and turned off the light.

Java woke up the next day with nothing but nausea and a huge headache. She groaned as she turned around to look at the clock. "Sweet Jesus!" she screamed once she realized that it was one o'clock in the afternoon. Hastily, she sat up, only to realize that Noelle was standing in the doorway with a bottle of aspirin in her hands.

"So glad you're up," the girl smirked then tossed her the bottle. "I covered your shift for the day. You better get out there though; people are wondering where you are."

She caught the bottle and immediately took two of the pills. "Yeah, I'll be right out." Before she could say anything else though, Noelle had already left the room. Java got up quickly and headed into her own room where she freshened up and now looked a bit lively. Just as she got out of her room, she saw her daughter again. She was interrupted once again as Damien moved toward the girl.

"So, looks like you had a rough night," Damien said to Byte.

"What do you mean?"

He chuckled and crossed his arms, "I saw you last night. Playing piggyback with mom are we?"

"Yeah, so? She needed help and I gave her some," she replied defensively. "If you breathe one word about this to anyone, especially Ram…I'll have you deleted."

"Whoa, whoa calm down there. You're starting to sound like Java," he smiled slightly. He thought it was cute when the girl was mad. "I was only joking. Of course I won't tell Ram."

"Well good for you," she sighed. She was surprised at herself for becoming so catty with Damien.

"Is something the matter?" he asked and led her down the hallway.

"No, of course not," she replied quickly as she let her hands rest on her hips.

Damien shrugged then turned to the girl. "Alright…well if you ever do need some cheering up, you know where to find me," he said. He left her alone now to go back to the computer room. Along the way, he passed Java. Before he could speak to her, he found the elder commander rubbing her forehead.

"Good afternoon, Commander Java," he said to her as he passed.

"Hello Damien," she sighed as she stepped toward the front of the hotel.

He stopped and turned around, "I see you might be stepping out. Would you like me to send some guards with you?"

"No, that won't be necessary. Thank you anyway," she replied quietly. She sighed before she stepped out of the hotel fully. The cold breeze and ashy stench of the city hit her almost immediately. It made her even more nauseous but she had to go on this walk. She'd realized what happened the night before. Apart from getting drunk, she realized that her daughter wasn't the kid she used to be. Even though they were angry with each other, it amazed her that Noelle could swallow her pride for just one quick moment. It showed that the kid grew up into a young woman. Now here she was, on a walk to see her sister Siva and the two of them would have a talk.

There were so many things that she needed to get off her chest. In reality, it was just one giant, mammoth sized issue that she'd been dealing with for years now. It was weighing down on her and ever since she fought with Noelle, it just dragged her down even more. If anyone knew how it felt to not be able to breathe, it'd be her. For years and years, she had so much to say. But she never got the chance to say it, nor did she have a person who would listen to her. As she grew up, all of that pent up emotion just turned into anger. Through this talk, she felt that if she let the thirty-something years of contained emotion, she'd finally be able to let people in. she'd be able to live freely instead of living in a cage of anger and resentment. She'd finally be able to be happy, free of inhibitions and free of pain.

She was never a bitter person. Underneath it all, she was simply a fragile individual, very far from unbreakable.


	17. Janelle

"I was never a bitter person. The person who I used to be got lost. Ever since I knew I wasn't going to keep my baby, nothing could ever make me happy again. I lost everything that day: a daughter, a spouse, and a sister.

"It's amazing though…how things worked out. Of the three I lost, one came back to me…and she turned out to be perfect. But I couldn't see it. Long before, I had closed my eyes, so angry at the world. I hated everyone and everything; I blamed them because my life was taken away. I just wanted to die, Siv. And one day, I couldn't take it anymore.

"I locked myself in my bathroom. Then I looked at myself hard in the mirror and thought, 'Well, this is truly it. You think anyone will miss me when I'm gone?' I held the razor against my skin, pressed hard, and drew it back. I watched the blood slowly pour out. It felt as if all my pain, anger, and sadness were escaping my body just from that single cut. I went in for another but I suddenly stopped. I came to realize what I was actually doing. So, I broke down on the floor and cried and cried…and prayed for forgiveness.

"I'd been so selfish for trying to take my own life away. There were people that needed me more than I thought. It was then did I think of my daughter. Of all people she was the one who needed me the most. You know what I saw when I was just about to drag that razor across my skin again? I saw my child's face…and at that instant, I opened my eyes."

Java looked back at Siva and sighed deeply before she continued to speak. She could feel her tears coming and it stung her eyes. "Whatever I did in the past, I'm sorry. I never meant to be so condescending…and just so greedy. I never really told you this enough but I'm so grateful that you're my sister."

Siva couldn't help it. She actually cried more than Java, to the point where her breathing became sporadic. "The past is past, Java. I forgive you," she said between breaths. "What do you mean you lost a sister?"

Java pulled away from her sister for a moment, Siva crying actually made her a bit apprehensive. "Are you okay?" she asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I could cry over anything nowadays," she replied, "but you didn't answer my question."

She smirked at her reply then shook her head. "You were always the crier in the family. Ebony was always the whore. Siv, you don't know this but our little sister slept with my boyfriend. I found this out when I saw her leave Noah's house…right after I told him I was pregnant. The girl was flushed, and you know how Ebony gets right after she's gotten some."

"Yeah that too," she said as she wiped a few of the tears away, now calming down. "I just…I can't believe you didn't tell me about this before."

"I didn't know how to. I mean, this is the first time I told someone."

"What about Noelle? Doesn't she have a right to know about this?"

Java glanced at Siva before she crossed her arms, "She doesn't need to know."

"Why not? Why'd you choose me instead of her?"

"Because I've screwed things up with her," Java said quickly.

Siva shook her head then looked hard at her sister. She thought about Java's words. The whole reason as to why she wouldn't tell Noelle is because they were in conflict. Java was always afraid of being judged by who she was and that's why she kept her guard up. She'd never opened up to anyone, not even to her own parents. "Janelle, that is _not _a good reason. She is your kid, now go speak to her. She needs you right now and with Max gone, you're going to be the number one person she can rely on," she said firmly. "You two will get through this, I know you will. Don't take this the wrong way but of all things, Noelle is the one you've done right. You did not screw it up. Just please…just take that step."

"How can I? She doesn't want to speak to me."

Siva shook her head then gave her the infamous family smirk. "That's where you're wrong, Java. Yesterday she was afraid of you, not because you were drunk but because she thought you wanted nothing to do with her. She's afraid of being judged and she thought you'd be the one to do so. The girl never had a family remember?" she paused for a moment, "So she never learned what a family functioned like. She never knew that a family does not judge each of its members. So where does this sound familiar? She sounds an awful lot like you."

Java sighed deeply and contemplated Siva's words for a moment. "Yeah she does," she smirked.

"I want this thing between you two to end. Please, the kid doesn't need any more stress in her life. It's not good for her and you know that."

"I know, I know, Siv," she sighed. "I will talk to her, don't worry."

Siva nodded then smiled slightly. Then she looked over her shoulder to see Lex standing up against the wall. "You can come in, you know."

He stepped in and took a seat on the bed next to Siva. "I just didn't want to intrude. Is everything okay now?"

"Yeah, Lex. Everything's fine." Java stood up now and looked in the mirror for a quick second to fix her makeup. "I'll just head back home…and…uh…Lex, take care of my little sister." She walked out of their room then out of the mall.

In the computer room of Ram's Palace, Byte sat next to him while she awaited Java's arrival. "Are you ready for today?" Ram asked.

"Yeah, of course I am," she replied.

"Good. Because today is a very…very important day. You will embark upon your greatest challenge yet. Trust me, Byte, you will enjoy this one," he said sheepishly before he wheeled away. He entered the computer room where he met Java then Byte. "Java, it's so nice of you to join us."

"I wouldn't miss this, my love," she smirked as she handed Noelle the Reality Space visor. She simply nodded to the kid for her to put it on. "All systems check, you're ready to go," she muttered.

Byte put the visor on and sat back in her chair.

She found herself in a forest once again. It looked very similar to the setting Ram used when she did the so-called promo shoot. There was a new tweak to the system though. Before, she saw snow but didn't feel the coldness of it all. Now, she could feel the crisp breeze and the cold powder on the ground. When she exhaled, she could see the smoky fog exit her mouth. She walked now with her feet covered in mid-calf length, chocolate colored suede boots. Her body was sheltered by a long, navy blue bomber jacket with a hood lined with sable colored rabbit fur. It fit nicely in which the jacket hugged her curves and it was long enough to where it touched her knees. She tied it in the middle with a matching blue belt since what she wore beneath the jacket just made her too cold. Beneath the jacket she wore a dark brown, almost black leather skirt that hit the middle of her thighs. On her torso was a scoop neck, cropped top which allowed her to bare a significant amount of midriff. Strapped to her back was once again a canister full of arrows and in her left hand was her bow.

Now she crouched down and watched an army of men come toward her. She heard a small twig break behind her which caused her to turn around quickly. Now instead of an unoccupied piece of land behind her, there was now an army of her own. It consisted of about ten people, all dressed in the same colors as the young commander. "Get your bows ready," she whispered to them. She now saw that her army was only half the size of the opposing side. She reached behind her and grabbed an arrow from the canister with her right hand. Then she placed it carefully on the bow and pulled back. She held her breath, aimed carefully, and released.

The arrow sped through the air and finally it landed in the unprotected neck of one of the leading soldiers. She watched him fall then she turned to her army. "Attack!" she commanded to her men.

Each of the men brought out their bows and arrows and shot them through the air. Byte watched as the large army decreased. She watched though as the opposing team brought out their arrows and lit the tips on fire. "Fan out!" she yelled as she saw an arrow fly through the air.

She bolted out of the area and grabbed another arrow. She shot at the men as she ran up to them. Right when she, along with about six of her men, reached the opposite team all of them had changed weapons. About two of them men were armed with axes and wooden shields while the other four had the simple double edged sword and shield. Byte however had a spear, a wooden spear with a steel tip.

She looked around the battlegrounds for a bit then saw a glimmer to her left, about two-hundred yards away. Right before she had the chance to run, a man attacked her.

As he was just about to swing at her with his sword, she blocked his attack with her spear. When she was about to retaliate, the man sliced deep into her jacket and on to her forearm. She quickly freed herself from the jacket as it was slowing down her performance. Finally, she attacked him.

Not only did she use the spear to her advantage, she used it like a bow staff. She spun the thing quickly as the man tried to penetrate the sword into her torso. As he stopped, she stopped and attacked him by first giving him a nice stab in the leg. The two fought endlessly, until finally he brought down his sword on her spear.

Now with two sticks in her hands she still fought against him, the way she did with Damien. However, she'd forgotten that the man had a sword in his hands, not a bow staff. He shortened her sticks until she was left with nothing but two six inch pieces.

As the man was about to raise his sword again, she threw the piece with the spear tip at him. She watched him fall to the ground until she was attacked again by a smaller man, about her height. He had an ax in his hands but she was quick to kick it out of his grip.

She grew tired quickly as the two fought with their fists. She tried to fight back as hard as she could but suddenly, the guy punched her in the face then followed it up with a back hand slap. The girl faltered, both in Reality Space and reality.

Java watched as her daughter tried to fight on the computer monitor. She glanced up at the girl and noticed that from beneath the visor, blood dripped on to the girl's uniform. "Ram, what's happening? She's not supposed to feel a thing," she said.

Ram looked down at his laptop and smirked. "That's where I've added the tweak."

Byte fought once again and this time, she landed a punch to the guy's face. She kneed him hard in the stomach and stabbed him with the remaining piece of her spear. Once he was down, she ran as fast as she could and as far as she could toward the piece. She could see it now. It was only about fifty yards away. As she was about to run some more, she felt the edge of a sword come down and slice her backside. She shrieked in both worlds and in the game, she fell to the ground.

"Ram, the kid needs a break!"

"Alright!" he yelled back and stopped the game. "Get her visor off then."

Java quickly moved over to Noelle and pulled the visor off as Ram exited the room. "Kid, you only have five minutes to get back in the game," she said. She shook her head as she saw that Noelle's nose had begun to bleed and her lip was split open. "Shit, there's no way you're going back in there."

"Java, my back, my back," she said as she fought to catch her breath. She unzipped her uniform to reveal that her tank top underneath had been soaked through with blood.

As Noelle pulled off her uniform, Java saw that there was a huge slice on her back. It extended from her left shoulder blade down to the right side of her lower back. She lifted the back of the girl's once-white turned red tank top to find that the cut was so cleanly made and that it was a slightly deep wound.

She struggled to breathe properly. Every time she inhaled she felt as if the wound tore through more of her skin. She looked back at Java and shook her head. "I don't want to go back in there. I'm starting to feel every hit," she said quietly.

"Yeah, that's Ram's new tweak to the system," she said as she held a towel against her back to stop the bleeding. "Damn, we need a medic in here," she then said into her communicator and turned to the girl, "You aren't going back in there. It's too dangerous." Java said to her. She then handed the girl a tissue to stop the nosebleed.

"Then what…are we gonna do?" she asked.

Java gazed at the ground then looked back to the kid. "I'll go…there's no way, I'm letting you have all the fun," she smirked.

Once the medics arrived, they quickly got the bleeding on Byte's back to stop. They got the girl to stand up and moved out of the way. "Go kick some ass," she said quietly. She walked out of the room, just barely able to make it. She breathed deeply as she leaned against the doorway.

"Commander Byte, are you okay?" Damien asked.

"The hell does it look like?" Byte replied and took a step forward. She sighed, glued to the door frame.

Java worriedly looked back at her daughter while a few guards cleaned up the mess the girl made. _"The game's taken a toll on her body. She's burnt herself out. God I hope the baby's alright." _She sighed as she approached the girl carefully. "Noelle…" she said quietly and placed a hand on the shoulder.

Byte blanked out for a moment with her gaze on the ground. Her eyes somewhat shut as she tried to look back up at Damien.

Damien looked back to Java then back to Byte. He approached her carefully as well. Right at the second he was about to speak, the young commander hit the floor. He caught her upper half though and he scooped her up. He looked to Java then nodded to her, "Go on, I'm gonna take her to the hospital."

"Okay, I'm trusting you with her," she said, almost as if she was warning him.

He gazed down at Byte then back to her mother. "Don't worry. She'll be fine," he said. He then began walking with her in his arms to the hospital nearby.

Java watched him leave and then went back into the black room where Ram waited for her. "I'm filling in for Byte, if that's alright."

"Yeah, looks like the kid couldn't handle it. I'll turn off the new setting for you though," he said then gestured for her to begin playing.

Java slipped on the headset and found herself in the same exact setting as Byte except she wasn't in her own body. She was playing as her daughter. Swiftly, she got up from the ground and saw the part of the key just out of reach. She turned around and looked at the man who was the last to hurt Byte.

Java faced him now with a katana sword in her hand. As he jumped up to avoid her attack, she brought the sword down on his foot and pretty much left him with a nub for a foot. Once the man hit the ground, she brought the single edged sword down on his neck. She wiped the sword off quickly before she ran toward the piece. Along the way, she punched, stabbed and kicked her way to the piece. Now that it was within arm's reach, Java smiled slightly. "Well this was easier than I thought," she said.

She grabbed the key and finally the screen went pitch black. She took the visor off and realized that she'd been playing for a good ten minutes, only a third of the game time Byte usually had to play. No wonder the kid had fainted once again. The strain and game play was a lot rougher on the body and now that their key player was expecting, no wonder she became so weak. Java even felt a small headache but thought nothing of it.

At the hospital, Damien waited patiently for Byte to wake up. He sat next to her bed side until he saw her stir slightly. He thought she was coming around but soon found that she didn't. After a good twenty minutes, she finally awoke.

She found herself attached to a machine and also found her right hand stuck with a needle that led to an IV bag. She looked over to Damien, just bewildered.

"You fainted," he answered the question she had yet to ask. "The medics are running some tests on you."

"What kind of tests?" she asked as she felt a bit groggy.

He watched as a medic entered the room with three fresh syringes. "Well they're about to do more blood tests," he said.

She nodded then tensed up as she saw the needles. She glanced back at him, growing just a bit fearful of the damned things. She was hesitant to give the medic her arm but when the medic suddenly grabbed it and slipped the needle beneath her skin, she obviously had no choice. Byte shut her eyes as she couldn't watch them take her blood.

"So the Commander has a weakness," Damien smirked.

"Yeah. Doesn't everyone?" Byte replied.

He scoffed then looked back at the medic and back to her. "Well, you gotta do this regardless. They want to make sure the baby's alright."

She froze for a second, unsure of how he found out. She shot a look back at him, still confused. Before she spoke again, he answered her question once more.

"When I brought you in, they asked all these questions…I think they may have had Java on the communicator. Whatever I didn't know, which was a lot, she answered."

Byte simply nodded then sighed once the round of syringes came to an end. She sat there uncomfortably with Damien. She worried about the impression she gave to him now since he discovered the big secret. She watched as the medics brought in another machine. This time it was an ultrasound machine. "Maybe I…uh…should go," she heard Damien say.

The medics carefully hooked up the machine and moved it over to Byte. "You can stay if you want," she replied. In actuality, she wanted him to stay because she was scared. She feared that there may have been something going wrong with the baby and it worried her. In days like these, nothing was really available to them. As the medic lifted up her shirt and squirted some clear jelly on to her flat stomach, he placed some weird looking gadget on the jelly. Suddenly the room went quiet until they heard a faint heartbeat. Damien stopped in his tracks and looked back at Byte. He moved back over behind her with a smile on his face as the heartbeat became louder and louder.

The medic nodded, "He or she's got a strong heart, all I see is a healthy baby. But as for you, Commander, you need to take it easy for a while. Try to lay off Reality Space if you can." He then pointed to the monitor before them and froze the image on the computer. "There it is."

Damien stared at the computer screen as he smiled. He looked down at Byte before he gestured for the medic to leave them for a moment. "There's your baby," he said to her.

She stared at the black and white image on the screen and said nothing. She was just overwhelmed, so much so that it brought tears to her eyes. She looked back at Damien while she quickly tried to stop her tears. When the medic came back in, he printed out copies of the image they all saw. Then when he cleaned everything up and let Byte alone, Java walked in.

"You just missed it," Damien said. "Byte's baby is a strong one, just like her mother."

"Hm, I bet," Java smirked. She saw the pictures on the table and picked one up. She couldn't help but smile. "Damien, could you…uh…just give Noelle and myself a few minutes alone?"

"Sure thing," he said. He nodded to the both of them and exited the room.

Java looked down at Byte after she set the picture back down. She sighed quietly as she watched the kid cry quietly. "Listen, kid, I never got to thank you for what you did last night," she began. She sat on the edge of Byte's bed now. "But that's not really the reason why I'm here. I'm here because I wanted to apologize for what I said to you. I realized that it was wrong for me to be so harsh, especially since I went through the exact same thing. I know I hurt you, kid," she paused for a moment to try and subdue the oncoming tears, "it's just that I…I wanted to do my best to keep you from ending up on the wrong side of the road. But now as I look at you, you're exactly where you need to be. Those things you said…about Noah. Well, you were right. He never loved me…and amazingly he showed that when he slept with Ebony. Max is different, I can tell. He loves you, kid, and I think that's all that matters at this point." At this point, Java inhaled deeply as she tried to speak some more.

"Alright, come on," Noelle finally said as she struggled to keep it together. She held her arms out and the two hugged each other tightly. From there, the two finally broke down and had a much needed sob.

"Oh stop your blubbering, Noelle," Java said after several moments.

She smirked as she looked back at her mother once she pulled away. "I've never really seen you cry this hard…or actually cry that much," she said.

"Yeah, I know," she replied while she quickly wiped her own tears away. "It's like a whole new thing to me. I actually have feelings now."

Byte smirked at her sarcasm then looked around the place. "Thank you by the way," she said quietly.

"No, no, thank you…for what you did last night. Me finishing the game is just a way of paying you back," she looked over her shoulder for a moment. "The person you should thank as well is Damien. Right when you passed out, he caught you and carried you here. The boy pretty much took care of you. I didn't have to do a thing for once. He's a nice boy, isn't he?"

"Yeah, he's a very…very nice boy indeed," Byte replied slowly.


	18. Crash

Early in the morning, when the sun was about to rise, Max boarded his single-passenger combat plane. He looked up at the sky for a quick moment and inhaled the crisp air that came from the ocean nearby. He could hear the waves push violently against the sharp grey rocks below the runway and the incessant bustling of the coconut trees as the wind shoved against them. While he sat down, he slipped on his communicator. He saw that the sun was cracking through the sky and pretty soon it'd be beating down on them like it had been for the past week. The humidity didn't help either.

Once he started up his plane, he gave a quick wave to the men on the runway. Soon, he sped off the runway and headed toward the bright sun. He looked back and saw three other Techno planes following him. He nodded as he then soared through the sky effortlessly.

After a few moments, he noticed what was below him. It wasn't the rural area that they expected to see throughout the island, it was actually very industrialized. "What the hell is this," he muttered over the communicator as he passed over an isolated cement tower.

Unexpectedly, he heard gun shots surrounding him and then he heard a loud clash of a plane against a building. He tried to avoid even more shots when suddenly he saw as one of his wings was shot off. The fire and ash from the shot surprised him and unexpectedly, another shot came to the plane's tail. Now he could feel his plane plummet down. "Mayday! Mayday!" he yelled as he saw the concrete and steel building approach his plane.

Suddenly, an earth shattering crash sound filled the air while flames engulfed the small plane with its pilot inside, unconscious. The flames then spread around and up the plane to where it reached its gas reserve. And then there was that final explosion, that sudden "BOOM!"

"No!" Byte yelled just as she woke herself up. She quickly sat up in the hospital bed, only to find a wide-eyed Java staring back. She breathed quickly and looked around some more.

"Nightmare?" Java asked while she still stared at the girl. Honestly, Noelle had given her a heart attack. She had been enjoying a nice chocolate bar and was about to take a bite out of the thing until she woke up. Now with the chocolate bar on the ground, she sighed as she was very disappointed.

"Yeah, I think so," she replied. "Is there any word out on the troops? Any casualties?"

"No, not that I've heard of. The boys have been enjoying themselves so far," Java shrugged nonchalantly

She gave a sigh of relief and lay back down in the hospital bed, just glistening a bit from that cold sweat. "Okay, good."

"You owe me a chocolate bar," Java then said.

"I want ice cream…but I'll get you that chocolate bar," she replied. She spotted a medic nearby and called the guy over. "Hi, can I get some ice cream and a chocolate bar?"

"Do I look like a run a drive-thru?" he asked rudely.

Java and Byte shot a look at the low-ranking medic. [i]_"I got this one,"[/i] _Java thought. She smirked for a moment before she spoke.

_[i]"Uh-oh, the smirk! That's always a warning sign,"[/i] _Byte thought.

Java stood up now and moved over to him. "Yeah actually with your position, you [i]_would[/i] _run a drive-thru. As a matter of fact, you ain't even a doctor. You're just an assistant," she inched closer to him like a lion about to devour its prey. "So get your ass on the job and _assist_ in getting her some damn ice cream."

He gulped and nodded to her. "What kind of chocolate bar did she want?" he asked Byte.

"The caramel-y one with the peanuts in the middle," she replied quickly, for she slightly feared Java at the moment.

Within minutes, medic assistant went off to go search for the items. After about five minutes he had obtained a pint of rocky road ice cream and only a two inch, "fun-sized" chocolate bar for Java. He handed both of them to Byte then walked out of the room quickly.

"Oh what the hell? There are only two bites in here," Java muttered as she was handed the chocolate bar. She opened it and took a bite before she looked at Noelle, who was happily eating her ice cream. "You lucky little brat, better give me some," she joked while she ate the last half of her candy.

"I'll think about it," Byte replied with a spoonful of the creamy goodness already melting in her mouth.

"You'll think about it? Noelle, this is a whole gallon. Where's it all gonna go?" Java asked, very much curious as to how the kid would eat the whole thing. She herself could barely do a pint, but a whole gallon?

"Down to my wonderfully empty stomach," she smiled. She didn't know how she was going to eat the whole thing either but all she knew was that she was hungry and she craved ice cream.

"Lard-ass," Java muttered under her breath, jokingly.

"I inherited [i]_your[/i] _ass, remember?" Byte replied with a grin.

Java frowned as she couldn't think of anything else to say. "Touché, dammit," she sighed. But before she could feel the small pang of disappointment, Noelle handed her the spoon. She smiled then glanced back at her, "Thanks, you're my favorite daughter."

Noelle rolled her eyes and chuckled. "It's surprising that you actually remembered that."

"Oh shut up about that," she replied, with her mouth half full of the ice cream.

"Alright, alright. I'll change the subject," she smirked, "So how about you and Jay?"

"What about us? Nothing's really happening. I mean…really…nothing's been happening. I'm beginning to think that this whole thing is just a fling. The guy barely has free time on his hands."

"Well, that's only because of the mission. But now that it's off the ground, he's probably not going to be as busy. Then maybe…you two can go out and do all that cute stuff."

Java smiled at both the thought and her daughter, "You really like him for me, don't you."

"Obviously…who else is that nice around here? He was with you when Noah wasn't there and he's one of the few guys who isn't morally corrupt like your husband," Noelle replied.

"Yeah, I suppose he is." She couldn't lie to herself. Jay was a rarity amongst all the men in the city. She'd never found someone so…right. Ram certainly could not compete, even with his terrorism that she somehow enjoyed.

At that moment, the blonde haired general walked by. He smiled slightly at the two as he quietly leaned against the doorframe.

"Speak of the devil," Noelle smirked before she gestured to Jay. She watched Java turn around and greet him. It was apparent that her mother's face seemed to light up when he walked in. Noelle was even surprised that Java hadn't blushed. Then again, Java was Java.

Jay walked into the room now and stood at the end of Byte's bed. "Are you okay? I heard you had a nasty spill during the game and…uh…Damien," he smiled. He knew that the lieutenant had a liking for the girl just by the way he always volunteered himself to help her out. He couldn't say he didn't approve of Damien but then again he always thought Max was a good choice as well.

Java grinned as well, "Yeah, Damien."

"Oh shut up, both of you," Byte scoffed.

"But I didn't say anything," Jay teased.

"It must mean Noelle's guilty of something," the girl's mother prodded.

Noelle shook her head defensively and then looked at the two of them, "I'm not guilty of anything. Why don't you two just get out of here…have some fun? That way you're not in my hair."

"Aw, she's bothered. I wonder why, Jay."

"Hm. Did you really pass out, Noelle, or did you just fake the whole damsel in distress thing?" Jay then asked while he laughed.

"Are you kidding me?" Byte said.

Java then sighed as she laughed. She nodded to Noelle and finally turned to Jay, "Alright, let's leave the diva alone."

"Okay, fine. Let's go out then," Jay then said.

She looked back at Noelle for a moment then back to Jay, unsure of whether or not to leave the girl by herself.

"Go on. I'll be fine," she said to Java.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"Are you absolutely sure, Noelle?"

"Yes, now what did we just discuss?"

Java smiled and shook her head at her smart aleck daughter. "Okay then. I'll see you in a bit."

Noelle watched the lovely couple exit her room. She lay back in bed, just simply relaxed. Maybe she'd sleep or something, but all she knew is that she could relax somewhat easily here. There weren't Techno guards or any virts to bug her. Maybe the beeping of the machines near her was just a compromise.

After about two hours, Byte was free to go. She walked carefully back to the hotel with the picture of her sonogram in one hand while the other hand held a candy bar she'd asked for right before she left. Upon arrival, she quickly went into her room where she changed into a new uniform. While she carefully zipped up the uniform, she looked down at the ultrasound picture. A smile came to her face a moment before Mega walked into her room.

"What's that?" he asked.

"A picture that the medics took."

"Of what? A lima bean?" he smirked jokingly then placed a hand on her shoulder. "Just joking, I know what it's a picture of."

She smiled once again before she took a seat on her bed. "So, is there any word out on the troops?"

Mega nodded as he sat next to her. "Yeah, they've all landed safely. No updates on any inhabitants on the island. Apparently though, the place they're looking at was once an army base. I don't know much about the place but they've said that it's a beautiful place and that it's warm. No wait, that's an understatement. It's actually kind of hot there."

"That's good to hear. But it sounds more like a vacation than a supposed base. If it was once an military base, then wouldn't they be busy at work?"

"Yeah," Mega paused, "but I don't want you worrying about that too much. I don't want you stressed out, alright? It's not good for you. Right now, I just want you to concentrate on you and the baby."

From afar, Ved heard the last bits of Mega's sentence through the slightly ajar door of Byte's room. He smirked as he soon figured out that the young commander was pregnant. _"So she's expecting huh? I wonder what's gonna happen when Ram finds out. Obviously the girl's useless since she's got different priorities. Ram's not going like that very much," _he chuckled to himself at the thought. _"He already sent Max away because he thought Byte needed to focus more on her duties. Now with a baby in the picture, I bet she's going to be demoted. Haha, no I take that back. She's either gonna be relocated to a different sector or worse, let go. So with the girl out of the picture, who's going to take her place? And who's next in line if Ram falls ill? Me of course." _Ved slowly walked away from the room with a slight smile on his face.

Down the hall, Java and Jay sat comfortably on Java's bed. During the time they spent together, they discussed everything and anything. They laughed and had a few moments themselves. It was now evident that the two enjoyed each other's company, even though they barely had the chance to see each other.

Jay smiled at Java as he lay on his side while she remained sitting Indian-style. "So tell me, how did Noelle get the name Byte?"

Java laughed then shook her head at the memory, remembering it like it was just the day before. "Alright, well let me tell you. Noelle…when she was younger, she was pushed around a lot, bullied, all those types of things because she was so little and so soft spoken. Surprising? Anyway, this incident happened when she was about nine, back when she first joined up with the Technos.

I saw Noelle one day and the girl was outside with the rain starting to sprinkle down. She just hugged her knees…just sat there while the other kids went out to play. Then this girl, Meredith, came up to her and started picking on her. Mind you, Meredith was about two years older than her and much bigger.

So here's this Meredith girl. She said to Noelle, 'Why don't you go inside, Orphan?' But Noelle tried to reason with her by saying, 'My name's not Orphan, it's Noelle.'

Big bad Meredith replied with, 'You're nothing but an orphan.' Then she picked Noelle up by the shirt and pinned her against the wall.

Little….and I mean little Noelle tried to explain to the girl that all of the kids were orphans and not just her because everyone had just lost their parents to the virus. By this time, I just wanted to watch to see what the damn kid would do. I knew she couldn't do that much, since there were guards standing nearby. Meredith then replied with, 'Not you. You haven't even met your parents. You're little Orphan Annie. Yeah that's right, Orphan Annie!' Okay I wanted to punch the kid but my hands were tied. I didn't want Noelle knowing that I was her mother just yet and by reacting, I think she would've thought something of it.

Anyway, Noelle started to cry and this girl just started poking at her some more. Meredith bent over now and said, 'What's the matter, Orphan? You crying? That's so virt.'

At this time, I had been called away but all I heard was that Noelle was so ticked off, so angry that she lunged at Meredith. She was small and much more agile, so she was able to get more punches and kicks in. She made me so proud. You know, she actually drew blood. That's when I knew she was truly my kid because I saw the family temper come out of her.

Once the kids were separated…or rather once they pried Noelle of Meredith, Noelle was taken to Siva for punishment. According to my sister, the kid just had a large scratch on her arm…nothing too bad. As she tried to clean it up, Noelle just said, 'I couldn't help it! She kept calling me names!' This is when I walked into the office after hearing that.

Siva then asked her, 'What did she call you?'

'Orphan Annie!' Noelle yelled. The girl was so angry at this point that she started tearing up again. I think she wanted to cry but she knew she'd be crying over nothing.

Okay, now my sister tried reasoning with her. It so didn't work. She said something like: 'You can't fight someone over that. You have to ignore the bad things people say about you. Be the bigger person, yada yada yada.'

I just rolled my eyes and asked the kid what happened that made her get the scratch on her arm. Noelle was hesitant to say but she eventually got it out.

'I hit her' she said.

'Alright, you hit her,' I repeated. But that wasn't the end of it.

Noelle then continued with, 'Before I bit her.'

I was so dumbfounded; I didn't even know what to say. I just looked at the girl curiously and just thought, 'Damn, she made Mike Tyson look like a weenie.' But anyway, Noelle bit someone on the arm in her first fight ever and won…and that's why I gave her the name: Byte. No, I just couldn't spell it with an 'I', we're Technos remember?" Java smirked and finally just gave a huge sigh. "That's my daughter for you."

Jay laughed at the story she'd just told him. He shook his head then laughed some more. "Part of me isn't surprised that she actually bit someone. She's a ruthless one, just like you."

"Yeah, I suppose," Java shrugged.

Jay inched closer to her then rested his hand near her thigh. "So tell me, what's this thing that's going on between us?"

"Your guess is as good as mine, Jay. I mean, we've known each other for a long time and I never imagined us…like this," she replied.

"But are you happy?" he asked bravely.

"Yeah, I am but-"

"But what? I'm happy and you're happy, we both feel the same way about each other. So why can't we just get it together? Why don't we _get _together?" he asked as he sat up. "I know Ram doesn't make you happy. But at least I can."

"You know it's more complicated than that, Jay. I can't just drop everything and be with you. I've got duties. I want to be with you, I do. But will everything work out? We always have to sneak around and we barely see each other as it is," Java sighed, becoming frustrated already.

"We don't know unless we try, Java," Jay said calmly.

In the front of the hotel, Byte was back on duty. Since she came back home, she'd been called out on "easier" jobs to relieve some of the stress. She sighed as one of the guards came to her and asked for her assistance. "There's someone here? Well that's what you're for, to attend to any guests."

"The man specifically asked for a higher ranking officer. You're the closest one we've got," he replied.

"Alright, fine," Byte said, unappeased. Finally, she walked down the steps with two guards behind her. She spotted the man and stood in front of him.

"Good day," the guest said. He was an older man and stood about six inches taller than the girl. He as built like an athlete, toned but not buff, slender but not scrawny. Tied around him head was a navy blue bandana while he wore black pants, a thick silver belt, and black and blue silk-screened shirt, and a black leather jacket. He looked at her now with slightly squinted grey eyes. He then ran his hand through his short brown hair and smiled uneasily. "I was just coming to visit Janelle," he said in his deep voice.

"Janelle?" she asked. Janelle, no one ever called Java that. Perhaps the guy was just asking for the wrong person or even a different person. "We don't have a Janelle here."

"Oh, right. I mean…I'm here to see Java," he muttered.

"Sure, I'll go get her," Byte replied. She pressed on her communicator and spoke briefly to Java, "There's someone here to see you…well I don't know he just asked for you," she said quietly into the device. Byte glanced back at the man and asked, "What business do you have with her?"

"I was sent over here by a former Techno….Siva. She said I'd be able to find Java and a girl named Noelle here," he explained with his hands behind his back.

She sighed and stepped in front of him, "Yeah? You still haven't answered my question, virt. What's your name anyway?"

The man glanced quickly at the ground then to her, "Look, my name's Noah. I'm sure that's enough explanation for the both of them."


	19. Birthday

"I heard that it was Noelle's birthday tomorrow from Siva and I just thought I'd surprise her," Noah continued as Byte stood there, wide-eyed like a deer in the headlights.

"Yeah, I'll…uh…go…yeah. I'll get her," she stammered. She turned around and quickly walked back into the hotel. Once inside, she ran to Java's room and swung the door open. "Java!" she screamed. Suddenly she stopped dead in her tracks. What she saw gave her such a shock that she could've sworn she'd just suffered from a stroke. It was her mom and Jay both half clothed with the man pinning Java against the wall. What they were doing could be left up to the imagination. She shook her head and thought the next thing she was about to say, she'd never say in a million years. "Jay, get off my mom!" Disgusted, she turned away and at the very moment she just wanted to die.

The couple froze at the sound of the girl's voice. Jay immediately got off of her and made his way over to Noelle. He placed his hand on her shoulder but she quickly brushed it away. "Don't touch me! God knows where those hands have been!" she said loudly then walked back into the room, hastily piled up his clothes and threw them at him. "Leave now," she commanded.

Jay looked back at Java with a slight smile on his face. He wanted to laugh but couldn't, since he knew it would piss off Noelle. "Okay, bye," he said, putting his best effort into not laughing. He walked out quickly and once he was out of earshot, he burst into fits of laughter.

After his departure, Java even tried her best into not laughing but she was too weak to help it. She laughed to the point where she could barely breathe, even though Noelle was less than amused.

"It's not funny, it's quite disgusting," Noelle said.

"Not even a little bit?" Java asked while a small laugh escaped.

"No. You, mother, are not allowed to procreate," the girl said while she tossed Java her shoes. "C'mon we have to go."

"To where?" she smirked as she just answered her own question. Whatever Noelle was dealing with, she wanted her to come along as well. "Didn't I send you out there for a reason?"

As Noelle was about to walk out, she heard Java and quickly turned around. "Was this your reason?" she exclaimed. "This guy is looking for you and me."

"So? Just leave him be. I've got better things to do."

Noelle inhaled deeply and shook her head. "Ugh! Now you've done it! You're going to put your damn shoes on and you're going to come with me. Move it!" she yelled then threw her communicator at her.

Java angrily put back on her shoes while she muttered some unpleasant things under her breath. "Where does she get off yelling at me…damn kid throwing things around…that one hurt too…hit my butt kinda hard," she mumbled incoherently. Once fully dressed, she walked out of her room and found Noelle waiting. "There, you happy now?"

She glanced over at her then smirked. "Ecstatic," she sarcastically replied.

The two strolled out of the hotel and once Java saw Noah, her jaw hit the floor. He hadn't changed a bit, other than the fact that he aged about sixteen years. He still had those killer greenish-grey eyes, the same ones as Noelle's, his strong and angular jaw line, tight lips, the athletic build, and that short brown hair he apparently hadn't changed for years. "Noelle, you weren't joking," she finally said,

"Why would I joke about this?" Noelle replied.

She shrugged as she still stared at Noah. The final memories she had of him before the virus suddenly rushed back to her. Now, she became angry at the thoughts. For years she blocked them out but all of a sudden this? How could he feel so comfortable as to just show up at her place…at her home? "The hell do you want?" she asked and crossed her arms.

He smiled then approached the two ladies carefully. "Well, I was just in the neighborhood and I just thought I'd say: hello" he replied jokingly.

"Alright. Hello, Noah, and goodbye," Java said. She began to walk back into the hotel until she heard him beckoning her to come back.

"Janelle, seriously, I came here to apologize."

"You're about sixteen years too late," she muttered. Once again she headed back to the hotel. This time around, Noah grabbed her by the arm for a split second before the guards pushed him off her.

"I'm sorry, Janelle. Even though you may not want to hear it, I want you to know that I regret everything I did. I wish I'd been there for you and our child. I wish I could see her, hell I don't even know if she's alive," he said.

She shook her head and glanced from Noelle to Noah. "I can't forgive you for what you did. You slept with my sister, abandoned me and my baby. You put me through hell and I just can't…I can't. But what I can tell you is that you're standing right next to Noelle."

Noah's eyes widened with absolute shock. He stared at his daughter for a few moments. "This…this is her?" he asked Java, to which she nodded in reply. "She's beautiful. I mean…no offense but she looks a bit like Siva but she definitely looks like you, Janelle." He then approached her, awestruck. "Let me introduce myself formally. I'm Noah, your father."

"Well that's great," she somewhat sarcastically replied.

He looked to Java, "She's got a mouth on her."

"You haven't seen anything yet. Besides, she got that from me…the only thing she got from you was your eyes," Java said, unenthused.

"So what are you here for?" Noelle asked, slightly interrupting Java. "You've said what you needed to say, isn't it time to take your leave?"

Her daughter was right. What was Noah doing here now? After she glanced over at her former boyfriend, she shrugged. She could care less now for the guy standing before her and her daughter.

"I've come to join your tribe," he finally replied.

Alright, now she cared. Java raised a brow then a smirk followed. "You've got to be joking," she muttered under her breath.

"I'm not. I want to be a Techno, I want to be close to you and Noelle," he explained.

"Oh so we could be one happy family like the Brady Bunch? We've been doing fine without you. What makes you think you can just waltz back in here and become a part of our lives again? You had your chance, Noah. You hurt my mom and screwed everything up-"

"Noelle that's enough," Java said quietly."You're going to have to start at the bottom like any other idiot around this place. So we'll see if you have what it takes to join our tribe."

He nodded in agreement.

"But Java…" Noelle whispered.

"Don't worry about it," she whispered. "Noelle, you can oversee his training since you're in no condition to work in Reality Space. I suggest, Noah, being nice to the girl. Your training starts tomorrow."

"Take him to the barracks," Byte muttered to one of the guards as Java began to take her leave. "See you bright and early." She then nodded to Noah and left as well.

_"I'll show them….I have what it takes to be a Techno," _he thought as he waved goodbye to the girl.

Once the two stepped through the doors, Byte sighed. "Java, why are you letting him join up?" she asked.

"Calm down. I wouldn't let him join if I thought he'd last through training, especially since you're going to oversee it," she paused, "besides that, what's so bad if he does join? You wouldn't have to deal with him, remember, _Commander_?"

"That's true but I have a bad feeling about this. I think he's only going to join because he wants you back. He'll mess everything up between you and Jay. Then what'll happen?"

"At least you'd have a father," Java replied quietly.

Noelle shook her head, "No, I don't want him around. I'm glad I got to meet him but all I want to know is that he's alive. And what about you, Java? Do you really want this guy around…does he really deserve a second chance?"

"You're right. I don't think he deserves a second chance with me. But, at least with you, he deserves some sort of chance. Come on kid. Haven't you wondered about who he was? I mean, you wondered about who I was. Think of it as some sort of early birthday present."

She sighed uneasily and shook her head, "That's one hell of a present then."

"Alright kid, well at least have some sort of tolerance for the guy. You may be training him but that doesn't mean you can chew him out more than the other recruits. Remember to be fair with all of them," Java told her.

"You're right," she replied and walked with her back to the computer room. The two went their separate ways, Java with Ram and herself with a few of the other Technos. She sat next to Damien, who was busy at work repairing a Reality Space visor. "So, I never got to thank you for what you did," she said to him.

He glanced up at her with his bright blue eyes and a screwdriver in his left hand. "Yeah?" he said.

"Well then…uh…thank you," she said awkwardly.

He grinned then nodded, "It was my pleasure."

After a few moments, he went back to work on the visor. Once he got a few new parts into the visor, he put it down then looked to Byte. "So, what are you gonna name the-"

Byte quickly covered his mouth with her hand and shushed him. "No one really knows. Let's keep it that way," she whispered. She then took her hand off his mouth.

"Oh right, sorry," he replied and suddenly stood up. He looked down at her with a smile on his face, "C'mon, let's get outta here."

She looked at him uneasily, "Out where?"

"I don't know. But I do know of a place that has ice cream," he shrugged. He watched as Byte became weak to the word "ice cream" and it brought another smile to his face. He moved close to her, "You have to relax some way or another, right? Besides, I know you've been craving ice cream…chocolate ice cream."

She acquiesced to his request and reluctantly followed behind him, "Alright, since I owe you anyway…I'll have some ice cream with you."

"Sounds like a deal," he replied as he held the door open for her.

Java saw Noelle leave and glanced over at Damien. "Where are you two going?" she asked curiously.

"Out for some ice cream. Want us to bring you back any?" he said.

"No, it's fine. Have a fun time," she replied and nodded to him.

The two walked out of the hotel and headed down to a rundown shack. Damien let Byte grab a seat near a window as he approached the virt who ran the place. He nodded to the ice cream vendor and carefully brought back a bowl of chocolate ice cream for Noelle and a bowl of mint chocolate chip for himself. After he set the two bowls down, he sat in front of her. "So, you never told me that Java's your mom," he said as he took a bite of the ice cream.

"Really? I always thought everyone knew," she replied before she put her spoon in the bowl.

"No, I mean they have the idea that you two are related but they don't know that you're her daughter," he said then gestured to her with his spoon. "You haven't really told me anything about yourself. I mean, what was life like for you before the virus?"

She carefully ate the ice cream and scooped up a bit more with the spoon. "In the simplest terms, it was a living hell," she said nonchalantly.

"Really? What makes you say that?"

"Well, I didn't know Java was my mother until this year. So before the virus, I was pretty much passed around and I went from foster home to foster home. When I started living with my adoptive family, tensions rose between my so-called parents. Jane, my mother at the time, became an alcoholic, Robert, Jane's husband, left, Mega was always out of the house, and Ron…well Ron was in college," she told him and took another bite of her ice cream.

Damien, surprised by Noelle's story, sat there for a moment as he tried to comprehend everything. "Wow, that really must've been hell. Wouldn't a social worker come by every now and then just to check up?" he asked.

"Yeah, they would. But that's where the art of lying played a huge role in the household," she shrugged.

"And Java? Did she ever try to find you?"

Noelle shook her head, "No, not really. She lived next door though."

Damien stopped eating and just stared at her, "What? Then how come she didn't intervene or anything?"

She smirked, "Oh she did…or at least she tried to. See, I was always dumped at Java and Siva's house whenever Jane didn't want to deal with me. When Java noticed bruises on my back, she stormed over to Jane's house to reason with her. When she did, Jane threatened her. She said that if Java said anything to the police or anybody, then it would be her word against Jane's. Mind you, the alcoholic was the wife of a city councilman with a law degree."

He sighed and dug his spoon into the melting ice cream, "Well, if you ask me…Java should've beat the woman's ass. I think she'd win. So let me ask you one more thing. When the virus hit, was she the one to take care of you this entire time?"

Byte smiled at his words as she continued to eat. "Not at first. Mega and Ron tried to take care of me. After Ron disappeared, Mega and I were separated. Then that's when Java, Siva and Ebony took me in. When Ebony betrayed us, Java, Siva and I eventually ended up with the Technos. But after I completed training, I was sent to a different base than my mother. It wasn't until I was about…thirteen that I started working with her. From there, she definitely took care of me."

"Alright, one more question. How old were you when you joined?"

"Nine," she simply said as she finished up the ice cream.

He sat there, amazed at the girl's history. He finished up his ice cream and stared at her, "Wow. Looks like you've had it rougher than most of us."

She nodded as she looked back at him, "So let me ask you the questions now. Why the sudden interest in my biography?"

Damien chuckled, "Your biography? Well I was interested because I wanted to get to know you better."

"Why?"

"Because you seem like an interesting person, which you are," he replied quickly. "Come on, we should go back."

She stared at him for a few moments before following him out to the city. The sky was dark and the makeshift streetlamps made it that much harder for the two to get home. She turned to him with a slight smile on her face.

"I think that's the first time you've smiled for me," he joked.

"Oh don't flatter yourself," Byte replied.

Damien stopped walking for a quick moment and just stared at her, "Meanie."

"Jerk," she smirked.

"Offensive."

"Boastful."

After Damien couldn't think of anything else to say, Noelle simply smiled. She stared up at him for a few moments while he stared at her as well. Suddenly, she started walking again and he followed.

"So, what are you thinking of naming the baby?" he asked as he walked at her side.

Noelle shrugged, "I haven't really had much time to think about that sort of thing."

"That's because Ram's got you working too much. You need to relax, Byte. You could really hurt yourself out there. I'm no genius but I think this Reality Space thing could hurt your baby…I mean it has already taken its toll on you," he explained.

"I know….I know. But how can I excuse myself from such a big project? Also, you know how Ram feels about kids," she replied.

"Yeah, that's true. I don't know, maybe you could either work something out with Java. She played really well last time."

Byte stepped into the hotel once he opened the door for her. The two walked along the hallways and ended up near Byte's room. "Anyway, thanks for the ice cream," she said.

"No problem, thanks for joining me," Damien replied. "See you around."

She nodded to him then headed into her room. She headed for her closet and changed into a pair of white and navy blue plaid pajama bottoms and a navy blue tank top. She couldn't get any more comfortable…actually she could. After she slipped between her sheets, she was truly at the peak of her comfort. It was only eight o'clock and she already felt like she was running on empty. "What are you doing to me?" she muttered as she looked down to her stomach. She sighed softly and found her eyelids starting to feel heavy. Within minutes, she fell asleep.

She slept so peacefully, with no disturbances whatsoever. Apart from the inevitable tossing and turning, she was able to sleep comfortably. That was until three o'clock in the morning. She heard someone open her door quietly and "try" to tip-toe over to her bed. Noelle cracked an eye open and found that it was only Java.

"Happy birthday, little girl," Java whispered as she crept over to her bed.

Noelle scooted over for her mother to sit on the bed next to her. But her mother didn't sit. Instead, Java lay down next to her. "I can't believe how fast you've grown up," Noelle heard her say.

"It doesn't feel very fast," she replied.

"Hm, once you hit my age you'll see what I mean," she paused, "But you know what I think?"

"What?"

"I think you're a great kid. Honestly, no matter what people think, you're a great kid. I hate to say it but you're my best friend."

Noelle smiled and turned to Java, "Really?"

"Yeah," she paused once she saw her smile, "oh shut up. I know you're about to crack a joke!"

"But I didn't say anything!" Noelle argued.

"I know you better than you think, Noelle. I bet you were about to ask if I could be your new boyfriend or something," she said.

Noelle laughed then nodded, admitting that Java was correct.

"Well anyway, I've decided that every year…for however long we're under the same roof…that this will be happening annually."

"What. You crawling into my bed and telling me how great I am?"

"No, you meanie. Me telling you about the most painfully horrifying yet most magical day of my life. It's the day and exact hour where seventeen years ago, I gave birth to a baby girl whom I'd name Noelle. While people call it the most significant experience of your life, I think it's more like doing the splits while somebody lights firecrackers underneath you. So here I am…I was screaming and yelling louder than I ever thought I could, making noises that I never thought possible. I had even asked for the 'epi-fuckin-dural'…hm…and me asking so nicely prompted the fat nurses to move quickly. Who knew that I could actually make a grown man cry using just my words?"

"Oh you're horrible," Noelle said.

"Well that's what labor does to you," Java sighed. "So, any birthday wishes?"

Noelle shrugged then looked over to her, "Nope, not really."

"Really? Not even like a pony?"

"Nope."

Java stared at her daughter for a few moments and shook her head, "Wow. You're one weird kid. If it were my birthday, I'd have asked for some nice jewelry or a gym all to myself."

Noelle chuckled, "Yeah, you would."

"It's alright though. Even as a kid you never really asked for much."

"Well that's because I never got much. I got the basics and that was already enough for me."

She sighed then nodded, "I like that. Now…where was I?"

Noelle rubbed her forehead, reluctant to hear any more of the story. "Um…you made a grown man cry."

"Right, so here I was…in labor. I was screaming and swearing and finally I was given the best shot of my life. I'll skip the gory details. Anyway, you popped out at a good six pounds five ounces…screaming as loud as I was. Funny thing is you wouldn't stop crying when the nurses were taking care of you. But when they handed you to me, you just stopped. My god, you were just the cutest thing. You just slept the entire time, didn't fuss or anything. Now seventeen years later, you're still the same. Though you may have the occasional sob, or the ever-so-pleasing temper, you are still that baby I met many years ago." Java looked back at Noelle and sighed. The girl had fallen asleep with her head resting on her shoulder. She moved away from her and got up.

"Don't worry, I was listening," Java heard her say. She smiled slightly before she walked out of Noelle's room.

Byte woke up slowly the next morning. Any sudden movements, she thought, would make her want to vomit. She crawled out of her bed and headed for the bathroom. Now with haste, she opened the door, barely making it to the toilet. She spent the next hour or so emptying out her stomach. There was a time when she thought she couldn't throw up anymore, but more just kept coming. Once she was finished, she collapsed on the floor.

After she realized it was close to six in the morning, she pushed herself to get ready quickly. She showered off, did the basic hygienic activities, and finally slapped on some clothes and called it a day. When she walked out of her room she saw Damien, Java, Mega, and Jay standing in front of her with a small cupcake and a bottle of ginger ale. They were all about to say a nice "happy birthday" but once they got to the word "happy", Noelle groaned, turned around, closed the door to her room, and headed for her bathroom. After a good five minutes, she walked back out. She sighed softly, "Thank you."

"Are you okay now?" Mega asked as he handed her the bottle of ginger ale.

"I think I will be. Just…keep the cupcake away from me. I'm sorry, I just can't handle the smell right now," she said.

"It's okay, Noelle. Listen, you just relax as much as you can today. I know that training the recruits won't be complete paradise but Damien's gonna join you to take some of the weight off your shoulders," Jay said as Java playfully winked at the girl.

Byte nodded and finally began to walk toward the north wing of the hotel, where the barracks were located. Damien followed closely behind her. Once she stood in front of the large room, she gestured for Damien and the other guards to wake the recruits. Right when the bustling ceased, she walked in.

"Alright, this is your commander…Commander Byte. Treat her with respect then _maybe _she'll return the favor," Damien said loudly while the recruits lined up in a row.

"Thanks, for the fine introduction, Lieutenant," Byte smirked. She stepped forward and inspected each of the beds. "As of now, you all are nothing but idiots. If and only if you can keep up, then you might have the chance to make something of yourself. It's not easy. We are the elite, the upper echelon of all the tribes. We only want the best and the brightest…and if you think you are up for the challenge, step forward now."

She watched each and every man step forward, including Noah. She smirked then turned around and headed for the door. Once she was outside, the recruits were faced with a plethora of training equipment, ranging from a twenty foot brick wall to a barbed wire net in which the trainees would have to crawl under. She faced the men, "For the next three months, this will become your playground. Enjoy it," she paused and looked to the guard, "Make them do an hour's worth."

When she finished speaking, the guards ordered the recruits to run through all twenty exercise activities. She watched Noah run through the course. After about fifteen minutes, she found him doing a set of push-ups. She stood over him then knelt down to look him in the eyes. "If you've come to reclaim my mom, you're wasting your time. She's happy now and not even some idiot ex-boyfriend can come and ruin it."

He glanced back up at her while a few drops of sweat hit the floor. "You've got quite a mouth on you, young lady."

"Oh but I've learned from the best. Now give me fifty more and afterward, why don't you go for a nice jog around the track?" Noelle smirked then stood back up. She gave Noah a final glance before she observed the other idiots around the training camp.


	20. Stumble

Byte watched each recruit slowly struggle through the boot camp course. It had been an hour and already, some of them looked like they were about to faint. She placed two fingers in her mouth now and emitted an earsplitting whistle. "Alright! Training for day one is over. You are excused," she said loudly. Once finished she turned around quickly. What she didn't notice, though, was that Damien was right behind her. When Noelle was about to make her hasty exit, she collided with him and the two nearly collapsed on the ground.

Luckily he had caught his balance while he held the girl close to him. At the moment the two of them were stable, he stared into her grey colored eyes. "You alright?" he asked with his arms still around her waist.

From afar, Java witnessed the entire ordeal. It brought a smile to her face as she just thought how perfect the situation was. "C'mon, Noelle….c'mon Damien just do something already!"

Byte looked up at him as she slightly felt comfortable where she was, in Damien's arms. She sighed then suddenly pushed herself away from him. She smirked, "Yeah, I'm…fine."

Damien watched the girl walk away quickly. He rubbed his chin with his left hand and smiled_, __"She knocked the wind out of me…damn." _After a few moments, he took his leave as well. He followed behind Byte, who was headed for the computer room. "What's got you in such a hurry?"

She glanced at him quickly before entering the bustling room. "Nothing," she replied and walked into the room. There, she found Jay working with a few officers in charge of the mission. "Jay, what's going on with our troops out on the island?"

He turned around, "Not now, Noelle."

The look on his face seemed worried and the tone of his voice with the other officers seemed very affirmative. Something had to have gone wrong, Byte thought. Jay was usually relaxed when he worked. From here, Noelle had decided to eavesdrop on the conversation by pretending to be working on a computer nearby.

"How could we lose contact with those men?" Jay commanded.

"I don't know, General," a lieutenant replied.

Jay huffed and rubbed his forehead out of frustration. "Look, I want a group of you guys heading out there to repair our communication lines. I want you, McNeal, Stats, Wizard, and Files to head out there as soon as possible."

"But it could take up to three months to get our communications reestablished-"

"Then we'll do it in three months," Jay interrupted.

Before Byte could hear anything else, Damien sat next to her. She glanced back at him and then stood up. "Byte! There you are," she heard Ram say.

"Yes?" she said as she approached him.

"You've got a game to play today…actually right now. So come with me…Java, you too," he told her.

Byte looked back at her mother, just a little bit worried for whatever Ram had up his sleeve. She followed them into the Black Room, where she was handed her Reality Space visor.

"Byte, before we begin the game I'd like to inform you of a new twist I've added to the game," Ram began.

"Yeah, I start feeling pain. I'm sure I was well informed last time," she said.

"Oh it's even better, my young commander. The pain in Reality Space that you feel will only make you feel weaker. It won't hurt anymore, trust me. But what you'll feel is a bit of a lag…you'll feel as if you're moving slower and slower with more blows that hit you. You'll definitely feel tired but no harm will come to you. Sound good?" he asked as he laced his fingers together.

"Yes, it definitely sounds better," Byte replied.

"But here's the twist. If you die in Reality Space then you die here. The same goes for your opponent as well," he laughed sheepishly while he applauded his own evil creation.

The girl's eyes widened just as she heard the news. "What? You can't do that!"

"Oh, but can't I? Let's remember, in this world I am God. I decided whether you live or die and what's wrong and what's right…and this, Byte, is your test to prove to me that you are worthy of living," Ram said.

Finally, Java stepped in. "Ram, the kid's got a point. It's much too risky. If we lose her then we lose a valuable member of our team."

"Then all the more reason for her to try harder. I want a genuine fight coming from her and if you ask me, I couldn't have thought of a better idea," he snorted.

"You want a genuine fight? Then send me out to that virt market," Byte replied.

He shook his head and glared at the young girl. "What's the matter, Byte? Are you scared? Look, I wouldn't have given the game these settings if I thought you couldn't handle it. You are going to play this game. Do I make myself clear?" he asked loudly.

Reluctantly, Byte shook her head. She then slipped on the visor and found herself in a simple pair of jeans and a purple t-shirt.

To her left was a kitchen and then to her right was nothing but blank space. Apprehensively, she walked toward the kitchen. As soon as she stepped forward though, a voice echoed throughout the world she was in. "Where are you, you dumb little shit!" she heard a woman say. Then when Byte looked over to her right, she saw the back of a woman's head. She was raven haired, simply raven haired. The woman turned around suddenly and Noelle froze out of fear.

The woman's face was none other than that of the face of Jane. It was twisted with anger and her breath reeked of alcohol. Noelle stepped away but the woman's hand shot out and grabbed her fiercely by the arm. The girl tried to pry the woman's fingers off of her but soon she found herself as helpless as she was when she was a child. "C'mere! What the fuck did you do today?" Jane asked then threw Noelle down on the ground. Afterward she proceeded to retrieve her trusty black studded belt. However, once she grabbed it and brought it up to whip the girl, the belt turned into a whip with little barbs attached to the end of it.

Noelle quickly tried to move away and once Jane brought the whip down, it had luckily missed her. The girl looked around to find a wooden baseball bat sitting in a corner. She acquired it and when her enemy brought her hand up to whip the girl again, Noelle swung at her. When the baseball bat struck her, it cracked along the side and when she struck her again, the bat broke.

Jane simply laughed and suddenly the whip turned into a large butcher's knife. Now, the girl ran for her life. She went up a staircase she saw but suddenly tripped and fell. The raven haired woman was quick to grab her by the ankles and pull her down then slice her in the calf.

Byte shrieked loudly as she swiftly kicked the woman in the face. She watched her falter and that's when she took the knife from Jane. She punched her once more in the gut then quickly pinned her against a wall with the knife against Jane's neck. "Give me one good reason as to why I shouldn't dig this knife straight into your jugular," she growled.

"Because I'm your mother," Jane said.

"Liar!" Noelle yelled.

"Oh, but am I lying?" Jane asked when suddenly she appeared to become Java. "You wouldn't kill me, Noelle. You couldn't kill your real mother," she taunted.

She weakened slightly as she backed away from Jane. "No, you're lying to me," she said.

"Noelle…I wouldn't never lie to you, would I?" she asked with her voice altered to sound exactly like Java. She then smirked when she approached her. She inched closer to her, now with a revolver in her hand. When Noelle was in clear view, she shot at her.

Noelle felt the shot go straight into her shoulder. She weakened slightly just as her actions became more lax than before. She glared at her and suddenly threw the knife at her. When the knife landed in her chest, she abruptly tackled the woman to the ground and wrestled her for the gun. Once she retrieved the revolver, she aimed it at her "mother's" forehead.

Java looked to Ram worriedly and finally acquiesced to her husband's request. She slipped on the Reality Space visor. She found herself in the same exact scenario as Byte. She found her daughter pinning what looked like to be her to the ground. Then she noticed the gun in her hand. "Noelle, stop," Java said.

The girl turned around quickly then looked down at the other Java. "Is this some ploy of yours?" she asked while she gritted her teeth.

"Maybe it is," she replied.

Java approached her daughter, "Noelle…please. It's me, it's really Java."

Noelle shook her head and then got off the fake Java and aimed the gun at the both of them. "How do I know that you're not lying?" she asked the newcomer.

"Ask me anything," Java replied.

"Yes, ask us anything," fake Java replied.

Her hand shook as she held the gun. Suddenly in her left hand appeared another gun, in which she aimed each gun at each of the Java's. "Answer this for me. Who's my favorite singer?" she asked.

The fake Java smiled. "John Lennon," she answered with ease.

Java shrugged then smirked, "I don't know."

Then a shot was fired from one of the guns. "No!" Byte yelled as she moved over the dead body of one of her mothers. She kneeled down and then shook her head while a tear flowed down her cheek. She sighed then quickly wiped the tear away, "I never told you who it was." She smirked now and grabbed the key from Jane's back pocket. "So you wouldn't know, would you."

Noelle stood back up to face the real Java. "Time to hide this thing," she smiled as she tossed the completed key up in the air and caught it.

Now instead of a blank area, the two of them found themselves in the depths of an underground tunnel. "I'll see you once you're out. You're on your own on this one," Java said with a smirk and then left the girl.

Byte nodded then continued walking deeper into the tunnel. She found herself in front of a room where the doors slid open to allow her inside. She walked in and found a small box on a column. Once she placed the key inside the box, she smiled. "The key of the city is safe now. Now, it is up to you, citizens, to keep it that way," she said. The room then faded out and soon enough, Byte found herself sitting in the Black Room with nothing but a blank screen in front of her. She took the visor off and saw Ram, Jay, Java, Mega, Damien, and a few other Technos. They all applauded her proudly as she stood up.

"Congratulations, Commander, you've completed the game," Ram said. "Let's open up a bottle of champagne and celebrate."

Within minutes, guards brought back two bottles of champagne and poured each person a glass. Everyone received a glass, including Byte. "To A New Hope, thank god it's finally wrapped," Java said. Everyone raised their glasses and took a sip.

Ram looked over to Noelle, who hadn't taken a drink. "Byte, won't you have a sip of champagne? After all, it was [i]your[/i] show."

"Oh…um…I just wanted to make a toast myself," she smirked. She raised her glass once more, "Thank you to everyone who made the show a hit. May we have more successes in the future."

Now each of them clanked their glasses and took yet another sip, including Byte. The girl, however, did not swallow it. [i]"Oh! This is gross."[/i] She instead let it sit in her mouth, until she could find a moment to spit the drink out. Finally she saw her mother with an empty glass and snatched it.

"Noelle, what are you doing?" Java whispered.

She couldn't speak; instead she just made noise, hinting that she still had champagne in her mouth. After a couple seconds, she spit the drink into the glass. "Ew," she muttered then handed Java her glass of the liquor. "Have it," she whispered.

"Okay," she shrugged.

Damien then walked over to Byte and handed her a champagne glass that he filled with ginger ale. "Madame," he smiled as he handed her the glass.

Noelle nodded and finally drank from the glass he handed to her. She downed the entire thing just to get the nasty taste from the champagne out of her mouth. "Thanks…um…I have to go," she said quickly.

"To where, Noelle?" Java asked curiously. The girl had nothing on her plate as of now, so where would she absolutely need to go?

"Outside, I need some air," she replied.

"Alright, why don't I send Dami-"

"No," Noelle said abruptly, "I can handle it, thanks." She then walked out of the computer room towards the entrance of the place. She sat on the steps of the hotel and hugged her knees. [i]"What the hell is going on? Is he trying to make me crazy or something? He knows very well that I've got Max…and I know very well that I've got Max and the baby. Is it me? Is it me who's been prodding him to act the way he does? If anything, I need to avoid him. I really do. How else can I get my mind off him?"[/i]

Three months later, Byte stood in front of the remaining recruits, including Noah. Of the twenty men that were recruited only seven were left. The each stood proudly as Byte handed them their new Techno uniforms, complete with the demon-like silver mask that the guards wore. She looked Noah in the eyes then handed him his uniform, "Looks like you made it." She didn't seem all too happy about it. Java's prediction was wrong, and the worst part was that Noelle relied on it. She sighed deeply after she saluted the newly formed Technos. For a few moments, she idly stood next to Damien.

"You okay there?" he asked as he glanced down to her very small, almost unnoticeable baby bump.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Noelle replied unconvincingly.

He stared down at her then handed her a bottle of ginger ale. "Well, looks like the troops are coming back soon. Maybe that'll cheer you up," he muttered. All in all, he wasn't too thrilled that Max was coming back. He actually had a liking for Byte at this point but he knew he could never pursue anything with her. With that, he thought that what he was about to tell her wouldn't affect her too much. He sighed briefly then took a seat on a chair in the empty recruitment room. "Listen, Byte, I've got to get something off my chest."

She took a seat across from him, "What is it?"

He contemplated his words before he spoke. It took him a while but eventually he just sighed and shook his head. "I….shit….I don't know if this'll affect you one way or another but I really just need to tell you this. I really, really like you. It's driving me crazy, Byte. I've never felt this way about anyone, it's only been you."

Byte just stared at him for a moment, just a bit taken off guard. She looked at him now before she spoke. "I know you've been feeling that way, Damien. It was more than obvious."

He gazed down at the ground, disappointed in the fact that he poorly concealed the truth that he was crazy for her. A smirk played upon his face as he looked back to Noelle. "But just let me ask you one thing, did you feel the same way about me?" he asked.

She paused for a moment, hesitant to reply. "No," she quickly said.

Damien chuckled, unconvinced and unappeased with Byte's answer. He shook his head, "You're not telling the truth, Noelle. I know you did but you pushed those feelings away…or at least you tried to. Don't think I forgot about the time I just held you or the time you and I had ice cream. You wouldn't move-"

"Then what do you want me to say, Damien?" Byte said and stood up, ready to leave.

Damien disregarded her and continued, "You could have moved but you didn't. You could have denied my invitation to have ice cream but you didn't-"

Byte shook her head, "I don't need to hear this. Look, I already gave another man my word and I intend to keep it that way." She began to walk away but he blocked the path between her and the doorway.

"What good are your intentions even if you did like me at one point? Why is it so damn hard for you to admit it? You like me and I like you. You like me….there I said it. I don't need a dictionary to comprehend your actions. It's just by the way you stumble around those words," he stood as well and inched closer to her then gazed down at her. "And lately you have done nothing but try to keep your distance. Ever since we started training, you've either been with Java or 'out'. I just wanted a simple answer from you, Noelle…Byte…whoever you are."

"There's nothing else for me to say then, is there?" she shook her head as she looked up at him with her grey eyes.

"But why'd you do that, Byte? Why did you try to avoid me for all these months? Just answer that for me," he pleaded.

She gazed at the ground then looked back up at him, "Because I can't trust myself with you. There…you happy?" Teary eyed, she pushed past him and walked out of the room.

Damien sighed deeply as he shook his head, "Noelle…please…wait." He quickly followed after her, feeling guilty for making her feel so badly about her actions. "Noelle, I'm sorry."

"What do you want, Damien? What do you [i]really[/i] want from me? Did you want me to be your friend or your girlfriend? Because right now, I don't even know what to think anymore. One minute you're doing nice favors for me then the next minute you're just staring at me like you wanna kiss me," she told him, obviously angry at him.

"I know, Byte. The thing is I could never get a relationship from you. I thought I could but I can't…you know it and I know it. So, I thought me telling you that I like you would be a harmless action on my part," he explained then watched a guard approach her. "Just know that I'm here for you…for whatever it may be." He walked off hastily, brushing shoulders with Java along the way.

Byte looked at the guard, who just handed her a yellow envelope. "What's this?" she asked, already exhausted from her argument with Damien.

"A letter from the troops," the guard replied.

Without any further notice he excused himself while she opened the envelope carefully and began to read the letter.

**In reply to your inquiry on the current status of Techno Troop 257, I am ordered to inform you that Cadet Maxwell A.K.A "Max" has now been reported in a casualty list that has reached this office as having been killed in the line of duty. We sympathize greatly for your loss. Amongst his belongings was a letter that has been attached to this notification. **

** Sincerely,**

** Commanding Officer of Techno Troop 527**

Byte sighed deeply as she frantically searched for the letter in the envelope. She shook her head, hoping that this was some sort of mistake. Finally she found it, neat black printing against cream colored paper. Then she read on:

**Noelle-**

** Amongst all of the things I have ever said to you, I just want you to know that I loved you. I loved you greatly and it hurts me to know that I won't be there. Noelle, if you are reading this…it means that I failed-**

From that point she stopped reading. She felt her legs weaken as a slow yet shaky breath escape her lips. Her legs gave way until someone suddenly grabbed her by the arm and pulled her back up.

Java had actually witnessed the entire ordeal she felt sadness for Noelle since she knew how much she loved the boy. It was only because of this stupid invasion that everything her daughter hoped for was just ruined. "It's okay, Noelle…it's okay," she said quietly.

"No it's not okay!" Noelle yelled. She slowly began to break down in front of her mother. "Why did he have to die? It's not fair," she shook her head and cried, "it's not fair!" She collapsed on to the ground and let the tears pour out until she could barely breathe. "Everybody I love just leaves me…I was so foolish to think he'd be coming back…but he left like everyone else. You don't know what it's like to feel alone…to feel isolated from everybody else."

Java knelt down beside her and looked into her daughter's eyes. It was this time that she realized that all the feelings and all of the remorse that was pent up inside for seventeen years were all finally coming out. "You are not alone," she said, struggling to keep her own tears from flowing. Now she felt the guilt for leaving her daughter; she knew that she was the reason why Noelle had felt this way. Her throat tightened as she tried to speak. "You are never alone and you never will be." Java then laced her fingers around Noelle's arm and helped her back up. "I want you to understand that, okay?" she said with tears now brimming over her eyes.

Noelle looked at her, her grey eyes just pleading helplessly. She didn't say anything and instead buried her face in her mother's shoulder. "He's gone, mom. He's gone," she said quietly.


	21. Max

_**Flashback**_

Cowering away in a small corner of the concrete room was a small girl. She was about seven years old and very much underweight for her age. She hugged her twig-like legs, upset at the fact that she'd just been terrorized again. The guys that bullied her just minutes before took all of her food, a week's worth of scavenging and saving. Now she knew for a fact that she'd be going to sleep hungry.

She saw a shadowy figure loom over her and it caused her to poke her head out from her arms. Her watery grey eyes observed the figure once more. Once she found that it wasn't one of the older boys, she placed her head back between her knees with her arms up against her forehead.

"Hi," the figure greeted. Its voice wasn't the deep, nor was it squeaky. It was just the voice of a young boy, raspy with a hint of juvenility. The boy stepped out of the darkness of the room and moved closer to the girl. He kneeled down, observing the shy girl. "What's wrong?" he asked.

She looked up at the boy once more. She found that he was just a kid about her age with sun-kissed skin and blonde, tousled hair. "They might get me again," she quietly replied.

"What'd they do?"

"They took my food and I worked really hard for it too," she said, very much frustrated.

He sat next to her on the ground and smiled. "I have some candy bars. We can share," he suggested. After a few moments, he got to his feet then extended his hand to her to help her up. "My name's Max. What's yours?"

"Noelle," she muttered as she took his hand.

The two youngsters walked back to a small corner of the dilapidated building where Max hid his belongings under a pile of trash bags. After rifling through the material, he brought out his only candy bar. "It's my last one," he frowned, "Why don't we split it?"

"Okay," Noelle smiled.

Max easily divided the candy bar and handed her the bigger half. As the two of the ate, he periodically peered over his shoulder then over at her to make sure no one would sneak up and try to steal their meal. Once finished, he waited for her to finish. When the girl's half of the candy bar was devoured, he suddenly jabbed her on the shoulder. "Tag! You're it!" he cheerfully yelled.

"What? Hey!" Noelle replied, dumbfounded.

"C'mon, try to get me," he grinned and ran off.

She chased after him with a smile on her face. She ran after him some more until she tapped him gently on the shoulder. "Gotcha!" she laughed. But soon she found him frozen, slowly becoming fearful.

"Hey, come on. I tagged you," Noelle said. She walked out in front of him to see what he was staring at. "Oh, it's only Siva…don't be scared." she shrugged.

Siva smiled slightly, "Well hello to you too, Noelle. Who's your friend?"

"His name's Max."

"And what were you and Max doing?" she asked curiously.

"We were playing tag,"

She nodded then gazed down at the two youngsters. "Be careful, you two. Neither Zoot nor Ebony is in the best mood, so don't get them mad. Go ahead and play, just keep the noise down." Siva warned.

"Okay," the girl replied then she turned to her once more, "Where's Java?"

Siva shrugged, "I don't know. I think she might be hiding away somewhere with her food or she might be in her room. Whatever it is, she said she was busy."

"Hm…oh well then," Noelle said. Once Siva left the two of them alone, she turned to Max and tagged him once again. The game of tag went on for about an hour until both of them were ordered to head back to their bunker. Then about four months later, the inevitable happened. Ebony turned her back on her family…and it was all for power. Java, Siva and Byte's "loyal" relative had just sentenced all of them to death. While being detained by the Locust guards, the older two of the trio put up quite a fight, in which it took three men each to control each of them. For the little one, however, it only took one big man.

While being carried away, Noelle had spotted Max amongst the crowd of people. She kicked at the guard, screamed, and punched, just so she could get back to her friend. The man's grip was strong and soon enough, her actions proved to be useless. Her gaze then fell upon her friend. "Don't forget me, okay?" she pleaded with her small voice able to travel amongst the jeers and yells of the crowd.

"Okay," he replied. He watched the guard take his helpless friend away. He didn't know what to do and soon he became frustrated with himself. Angry, he ran off. He chased after the guards, though, carefully hiding amongst the rubble. His little chest puffed as he watched the guards throw the three girls in the "jail cell". After observing the chain and padlock on the door of the cell and he came up with the perfect idea. He knew they couldn't climb the cell because it contained barbs scattered amongst the chain-link fence. Escaping the damned thing would mean they'd have to get a tetanus shot at the end.

That night as Java and Siva were asleep, Noelle woke to the sound of rustling amongst the bushes nearby. She watched the outside of the fence carefully from where she lay then inched closer to Java, who was soundly asleep. Seconds later, she heard the unnatural rustling again. She grew a bit fearful of what may be out there and dug her head into the woman's arm. Wide-eyed, she watched the outside once again.

Max poked his head out from behind the bushes. Quietly, he crawled up to the entrance to the fence, right in front of Noelle. "Look what I got," he whispered.

Noelle smiled slightly and crawled up to the fence, "What is it?"

"They cut through the chain," he explained. He got to his feet now, placed one part of the thin chain between the teeth of the cutters, and squeezed. After an apparent "SNAP!" he quietly pulled the chain off the door. He looked over his shoulder now and noticed that the sun was creeping slowly through the sky. "I better go…you guys have to hurry," he said.

"Okay," Noelle replied. She moved over to him then hugged him tightly, "I'll remember you forever, promise. What about you, do you promise again?"

"I promise," Max said with a warm smile.

After the two pulled away, Noelle moved toward Java and nudged her on the shoulder. "Java, wake up," she whispered.

The woman groaned and just rolled over to the other side, "Not now, Noelle."

Now the girl shook her arm, "But Java, the door's open. We have to hurry!"

From there, Java's eyes shot open. She got up quietly then pushed Siva, "Siv, wake up!"

Once she woke up, they all saw that the sun was creeping up through the sky slowly. "We have to run from here," Noelle heard Java say as the woman broke out into a jog, so the little girl could catch up. Siva, however, ran faster than the two and was quick to reach the end of the Locust camp.

"C'mon, Java!" Siva yelled.

_**End of Flashback**_

Early the next morning Byte crept out of her room fully dressed with her communicator and phaser in their rightful places. She was ready for the day of work ahead of her, despite what had happened. The usual bustling of the other Technos comforted her in some weird way. Upon entering the computer room, she was greeted by Mega.

"Nice to see you up," he said.

Noelle smirked then sat in front of one of the computers, "I just wanted to get back to work, that's all." Quickly, she turned on the computer in front of her and began typing up her report for the game she was working on for the virts. She sighed as she quickly typed away at numbers and figures. "Expected participation rate…eighty-five percent," she muttered to herself.

Noelle had been working for a few hours until Java came through the doors. Once she did, she stared at the kid for a moment, curious as to why she was put to work. She took a seat next to her as she was just a bit surprised to see her daughter functioning. "Hey, kiddo, what are you doing?"

"Figuring out data for the new game," she replied quickly.

"But why? Did someone put you up to this?"

"No, I just wanted to work. That's all," Byte smirked. "Did you know that about eighty-five percent of the population will be participating in the game? It's…incredible." She looked at her mother, who was just staring at her. "Something wrong?"

Java shook her head, "No. It's just that I'm a little bit amazed at how fast you've come back to work."

"Well there's work to be done and I just didn't want to put such a burden on you," Noelle explained.

"But you know what I think? I think you need to…uh…take it easy. You know…have a whole tub of ice cream to yourself, don't even bother to put on makeup, and just stay in your pajamas the entire day while you do absolutely nothing."

The girl sighed, "No, that ain't happening."

"As you wish," Java replied with a shrug.

At that moment, Ram wheeled his way toward Byte. He gazed at the girl with an impish grin on his face. "Ah, my young commander, it's nice to see you today and boy do I have some news for you."

"Yeah? What is it?" she asked.

"I have a new mission for you to complete…and trust me it'll be worth your time. I'm going to give you some time to think about it but what I'd like you to do is to do some tidying up. With the new game coming up, I want the virts to think that our system is 100 percent safe. So, those virts we tested on…I want them deleted. I want all evidence disposed of, Byte," Ram explained.

"Sure, I'll think about it," she replied and turned away once Ram wheeled away to another Techno worker. She handed Java the papers she'd just typed up. "So, what do you think?"

"Well if you ask me, I think that new mission is a bit too risky," Java said.

"No, no, I mean the report," Noelle replied.

"Oh," she smirked. She read over the report quickly, "So, let me get this straight…the virts are split up into two teams and they have to find the key that you hid?"

"Yeah, that's pretty much it. You think Ram will like it?"

"I think he will. It's easy to understand and it'll get everyone involved. I like it because it's easy to publicize for," Java said.

"Okay, I'll go show him," Noelle nodded and went off with the paper to go see Ram.

Java watched the girl explain, in great detail, the concept of the game, game play, virt involvement, and the expected participation rate. "I think it's a great concept, Byte. Go ahead and get PR started on that with Java. It's so nice to have you working so hard even after the recent tragedy."

Byte nodded slowly, Ram's words hitting her harder than she thought. Her eyes glistened slightly as she fought her tears. She smirked instead, just to hide her sadness.

"Have I upset you?" Ram asked.

"What?" Byte said and shook her head, "No, no. Besides, I have just as much work to do around here as anybody else. I don't see them having any excuses to not do any work."

"That's what I like to hear, Commander," he smiled.

She nodded then walked back to her computer for a quick moment. "I'll be back, I have to go see our PR speaker…whatever her name is."

Java turned to her now, "Oh, the one with the black slicked back hair? Kinda chub chub? She really needs to get out of that man's uniform."

"Chub chub? Well I suppose she's on the chunky side," Byte chuckled. "Anyway, yeah, I'm gonna go talk to her."

"Have fun with that, Noelle," Java smirked.

_**Flashback**_

Max trekked along the outskirts of Techno territory as he kept a diligent watch over his post. He'd just finished boot camp and this job was his first task ever as a Techno. He took it very seriously, of course. But after four hours of keeping watch over just one area, he inevitably grew bored.

"But Java, why's it my job to show the new guards around? They couldn't get an old guard to do it?" he heard someone say.

Max turned around to the voice momentarily and his green eyes squinted. There he saw a young girl about his age with wavy brown hair and caramel colored skin. He was only able to see the back of her but once he saw the girl's uniform, he figured that she was just another one of Ram's wives. [i]_"Perhaps it's Siva."[/i]_ He sighed softly then folded his hands behind his back.

About a minute later, the girl turned around and headed toward him.

Along the way she tied up her hair into a pony-tail and let some of her bangs sweep over her right eye. She looked at the guy in front of her and immediately took notice of his appearance. She froze for a split second, thinking she'd just been hit by a bus. She couldn't believe what was in front of her…the most handsome guy she'd ever seen in her entire life.

From only the two seconds that she stared at his face, she took note of his deep-set green eyes, his perfect nose, tight lips, and angular jaw line. Of those features, the one she couldn't get over was his eyes. They seemed so pensive by the way they were squinted, even though they were slightly over shadowed by the few strands of light brown hair that fell over them. But once she stopped in front of him, his eyes seemed to soften.

He stared at her for a few moments, simply amazed. Her face looked so familiar to him and then he remembered. The girl's eyes gave it away. It was the same pair he'd seen just years ago, back when he was with the Locusts. "Noelle?" he said as a smile crept over his mouth.

She looked up at him, slightly confused and slightly offended. "It's Sub-Lieutenant Byte to you, Guard."

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. But…it's me," he said with excitement.

Still confused, she stared at him. "Who are you?"

"It's me, Max," he replied.

Her jaw dropped as she smiled widely. "Max! What? It's really you? God I can't believe how much you've changed."

"I know and you too, Noelle…er…Sub-Lieutenant."

"No, no, it's fine. You could just call me Byte," she laughed.

He smiled once again, "I just can't believe we ended up in the same tribe again. What are the chances?"

She shrugged and chuckled lightly, "So how've you been? I mean, it's been so long."

"I've been good…well actually, great, since I found you," he joked. "Don't think I didn't keep my promise from years ago. I didn't forget about you."

"I'm glad you didn't. I mean, how else would I be able to thank the guy who saved me?"

Max shrugged, "I don't know. I think a simple 'thank you' will be fine."

"Are you sure about that? Did you want a new area to keep watch over? Something nice?" Byte smiled.

"No, no. It's completely fine. Just think of it as a nice gesture, no gifts in return," he replied humbly.

_**End of Flashback**_

She walked out of the room with the papers in hand. She strolled into the hallway and found her aunt and her father. It wasn't her Aunt Siva, it was the other one; the one that Java considered the devil reincarnate; and the one that her mother said, "was short, nasty and started with the letter 'E'". It was Ebony.

"So you actually made it to the Technos," Ebony said to Noah.

"Did that come as a shock to you?" he asked.

"No, not really. I wonder what my older sister actually said. She must've been thrilled," she said sarcastically.

"She wasn't too thrilled, as expected. Neither was Noelle."

Ebony smirked then stopped walking, "Well the apple never falls far from the tree."

"What do you mean by that?" Noah smirked.

"Oh didn't you know? My sister's daughter…or rather….your kid…is knocked up. Like mother like daughter. It's a shame, though; Byte's fate fell just the same as Java's. She doesn't have a father for her kid too. Well I guess that's what you get for whoring yourself around," Ebony explained.

At that moment, Byte walked up to her two relatives with a slight smirk on her face. "So is that what you call it? You're really one to talk, Ebony, especially since you're always after everyone's sloppy seconds. I'm sure Noah's living proof."

"Oh really, Byte? So where's Damien again?" she asked.

Noelle shrugged, "I don't know but have you checked your room yet?"

Noah finally stepped in between the two girls, "Noelle, where do you get off speaking to your aunt like that?"

"Well I don't know, after she turned her back on her own family and sentenced us to death, who knows where I got it from?" Byte replied sarcastically.

"Her mother, that's who," Ebony murmured under her breath.

"And what makes you think you can discipline me like that?" Noelle then asked.

"Because I'm your father," Noah explained.

"I'm surprised you didn't choke when you said that," Byte smirked, "maybe you shouldn't have choked seventeen years ago…because around here, you're nothing but a damn guard." She glared at him then took her leave. She walked hastily around the corner and found Damien just walking out of his room.

He saw her making her way towards him but didn't do much. Instead, he gazed at the ground and let the girl pass. Behind him he heard Noelle speak to the officer behind him.

"Look, I just need it to look good. Do whatever you want, I mean the basics are all here. You've got two teams, red and blue, and one objective. All you have to do is advertise the fact that they need to be scanned before they can play," Byte told her.

The woman nodded and smiled as the girl handed her the papers, "You've got it, Commander."

When Byte was about to pass Damien in order to leave again, he stopped her. Damien gently grabbed her by the arm, "Byte, wait."

She sighed deeply, "What."

"Look," he paused, "whatever I said to you yesterday, I hope you're not mad at me because of it. If you are, then just forget about it, okay?"

"I'm not mad at you, Damien. Why would you think that?"

He shrugged then moved out of the way for passing Technos. "I don't know. I think it's just by the way you've been acting. I heard you talking to Java, and I just want you to know that I'm sorry that I've intruded. I've intruded on what could potentially be a family. I know you've been through a lot, Noelle, don't let me take that away from you. I don't want to be the one to come between you and Max and your baby. You three belong together and as for me, I'm out of the picture. When Max comes back-"

Noelle sighed softly and shook her head while her eyes began to well up once she gazed at the ground. "He's not coming back," she said quietly.

"What? What do you mean, Noelle?" he asked. He approached her carefully as he saw some tears fall to the ground.

She struggled to speak. It was clearly expressed by how her ears began to turn red and her breathing became long heavy gasps. "Max is dead," she finally said.

Damien sighed softly and gazed down at the girl. "C'mere," he whispered while he gently wrapped his arms around her. He held her closely as he rocked her slightly. He could hear her sob and slowly break down in front of him. No longer was she the emotionless commander who always kept her guard up, she was now the vulnerable and fragile girl that he was holding in his arms. It almost felt like he was protecting her rather than trying to impress her. "Come on, we should get you back to your room. I don't want people to start talking."

_**Flashback**_

"Good for nothing Techno!" a virt yelled. Suddenly he came toward the newly promoted Lieutenant and charged at her while her back was turned.

Max saw the virt coming at her and immediately he stepped in front of her. he swung at the virt, kicked him, and finally tackled him to the ground. "Get her outta here!" he yelled back to the other guards. He didn't wait any longer to continue to subdue Byte's attacker. After a few moments, he got the guy handcuffed, or "braceleted". He huffed for a few moments before he caught up with Byte and the other Technos.

He stood at her side once more with a slight smirk on his face. "That was a close one," he said.

She turned to him and noticed that he'd received a cut on his forehead. "Yeah it was….but you're bleeding," she smiled.

He touched the small cut, noticed the blood and simply shrugged it off. He simply continued walking with her back to the base.

"C'mon, Max, let's get you stitched up," Byte then said as she was already on her way to the Techno hospital.

He followed behind her and once they both entered the hospital, he took a seat next to her. "Listen…um…Lieutenant…there's really no need for you to come out here with me," he reluctantly told her.

"It's Byte," she smirked, "and it's really no problem. You took a guy to the ground for me and it's really the least I could do."

"Right back here, Lieutenant," the medic said to Byte.

She walked into the room first then Max did. As the boy took a seat, she watched the medic pull out a bottle of alcohol and a few pieces of gauze. But as he was about to swab Max's wound with the gauze, he was called away to attend to another patient.

Byte sighed, "It's gonna take forever to get this thing patched up."

He looked back at her then shrugged. "You wanna do it? I mean, it's [i]_only[/i] _a cut," he said and handed her the supplies.

"Sure," she replied. She took the bottle from his hand and soaked a piece of cotton in the liquid. After a few moments, she gently wiped the wound with the alcohol-soaked gauze.

It felt nice at first but suddenly the coldness from the liquid turned into violent stinging. Max's eyes watered slightly as he let out a small sigh.

Byte looked down at him with a slight smile, "What's wrong?"

He tried to summon up the strength to speak to her, but the stinging only intensified. "It's stinging…really, really bad," he whispered.

"Oh! Sorry, sorry, sorry," she said quickly and then blew against the wound.

Now that the stinging was relieved, the girl was quick to patch him up. After she did so, she sat next to him on the hospital bed.

"Thanks," Max said quietly.

She stared at him and simply nodded, "You're welcome."

He inched closer to her as he stared back into the girl's eyes. They drew him in closer and closer, while she moved nearer as well. The two stopped, just inches away from the other's face. The pause was short-lived, though.

Their lips met for the first time. It was the most gentle yet most daring kiss the girl ever received, well what made it daring was that they were in a room where anyone could walk in at any moment. But the duo didn't care. After the small peck, the two pulled away from each other. Byte shyly gazed at the ground as she bit her bottom lip. She looked up at him once more and found that he had a grin on his face. It caused her to smile as well.

Max stared at her for the longest time before both of them heard some conversation over their communicators.

"Guard Max should know that he's being promoted to Cadet," they heard Jay say. "Where is he?"

"Where's Byte?" Java then asked.

"I believe they're still out at the hospital," a guard said.

"I don't think it should take that long to fix a small cut," Jay said.

From that point, Byte shot a look back to Max. "We should go," she smiled.

_**End of Flashback**_

Noelle nodded and followed him back to her room. Upon arrival, she turned to him with a slight smile. "Thank you," she said, her voice now sounding fully congested.

"It's no problem," Damien replied.

She opened the door to her room where she sat on the bed. She allowed Damien in and sighed while she pressed on her communicator as she tried to summon the strength to speak. A sigh came out before she spoke, but then she forced herself now. "Java," she said quietly, her voice wavering.

"Yeah?" Java replied over the headset.

"You know that ice cream that you talked about earlier?"

"Yes, honey."

Noelle sighed once more as she fought to keep the tears at bay, "I think it's starting to sound really good right about now."


	22. Techno

Java smirked then smiled slightly, "Alright, I'm on my way." She could tell that from the way Noelle spoke kind of slowly and sporadically, that this was an urgent thing. She finished up typing a few reports then handed them to a guard nearby. "While you're at it, go get me a gallon of ice cream and two spoons. Chocolate ice cream, though."

The guard nodded and made his way to get the report to Ram then went to get the ice cream. Within minutes he handed Java the ice cream. She walked quickly back to Noelle's room. Upon entering the room, she saw the sorrow expressed through the kid's eyes and that's what got to her. Noelle's eyes always seemed to gaze, they wouldn't stare; they wouldn't gawk. They would just rest upon the person in front of her, as if he or she was the only person in the room. They were so focused yet gentle. Now as she looked at them, her beautiful grey eyes seemed so helpless and so anxious, as if they were searching for a solution or answer to her problem. Before her was a distressed young lady, but what she saw was her little girl, in need of help.

Java approached her with the ice cream in hand and sat on the edge of the bed, next to her. She then gave her a spoon but Noelle didn't eat.

"I can't believe he's gone," she said quietly between sobs. She rested her head against her shoulder.

Her mother wrapped an arm around the girl's shoulder, "I know, kid."

"I don't know how I could just let that go…how I could just work and pretend like nothing happened."

Damien looked at the two girls before he spoke. "You just wanted to distract yourself, I think. You just didn't want to deal with it, or at least you didn't know how to. But right now, Byte, you're dealing with it just like anyone else would."

_**Flashback**_

Byte angrily stormed down the hallways with Max chasing after her. "Can't believe that moron," she muttered. Hastily, she turned a corner and accidentally hit Java in the shoulder along the way.

"Whoa! Kid, slow down there," she heard her mother say.

Noelle ignored her while she just continued walking back to her room. "Byte! Stop!" she heard Max yell across the hall.

"What! What the hell do you want?" she shouted.

He finally caught up to her and grabbed her by the shoulders. She, however, slapped his hands away. "God! What's wrong with you?" he asked angrily as he tried to touch her, but she hit his hands off of her.

"You're what's[i] _wrong[/i] _with me!" Byte yelled, struggling along the way.

Java watched the two duel it out and with Noelle's last statement, it just brought a bit of humor to her day. Her daughter's come-back was just classic. She smiled slightly then continued to let the two rip each other's head off.

"Dammit, Max! Why are you being like this? It's only Damien! He and I are just friends, that's all. I don't understand why you have to be so jealous!" she shouted, opened her door, walked in her room, and slammed the door in his face.

Max swung the door open, causing it to crash against the wall behind it. He moved over to her quickly, not even bothering to close the door behind him. Quickly, he clenched his fists. His eyes darted back to her while he gritted his teeth and raised his fist at her. "Fuck!" he yelled, "You can be such a pain in the ass! Sometimes I could just-"

"What. You wanna hit me? Then hit me," she snarled back at him with his face just inches from hers. She jabbed him on his chest and it caused him to grow even angrier.

"Stop!" he shouted into her face. He brought his fist down hard against the wall, barely missing the side of her face. Max then grabbed her hard by the shoulders and wrapped his muscular arms around her body, including her arms. He held her tight, so unyielding that she couldn't move. The guy knew that Noelle was mad, but he'd never seen her furious. "Stop it," he said to her, less angry now.

She tried to fight his grip but he was too strong for her.

"You know why I'm angry?" he asked with his temper beginning to rise once again. "I'm angry because I'm scared that I won't see you again!" he yelled for the last time.

His words hit her hard and soon she collapsed in his arms. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry," she cried.

He let go of her slightly, allowing her to move. With his arms still around her, he kissed her softly on the cheek. He faced her, his anger softening a bit. Max noticed how much he affected her and soon he felt guilty for making her cry. "I'm sorry…I didn't mean to go off like that," he whispered. "I don't want to leave you, Noelle."

_**End of Flashback**_

Later in the evening, Java walked out of Noelle's room quietly and slipped the door shut. She sighed deeply once she saw Jay, "Well, she's been asleep since noon after I got her ice cream. I mean, earlier today I wasn't so sure if she'd give herself a break."

Once he saw Java leave Noelle's room, he stared at her. "How are you? I can only imagine what she's going through," Jay muttered quietly.

She shrugged while she neatly folded a few shirts and a couple pairs of pants. "I can't say that I'm happy about it. I'm actually crushed, Jay. As much as I wanted her and Damien to work out, I knew there was a small part of me that thought Noelle and Max _should _be together. It breaks my heart to see her like this."

"I know we all had our doubts about the guy, but in the end it was always gonna be Noelle and Max," he added. He nodded to her then to Damien, who was walking up behind Java.

"She still asleep?" he asked.

Java nodded as she walked away from in front of Noelle's room. "I'm curious though. How did this mini meltdown occur? You were there, weren't you?"

The young man simply sighed and shook his head out of guilt. "Yeah, I was. I think I may have actually started it. I didn't know about Max until it was too late and now I feel like such a jerk."

"Don't be. I'd rather have my kid crying than having it eat her up inside," she replied. [i]_"Crap, forgot my phaser in her room."[/i] _She looked back at Damien then excused herself to go back into Noelle's room. She tried her best to be quiet but with her daughter as a light sleeper, it was virtually impossible. Suddenly, she saw Noelle stir and then open her eyes. "Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you."

"It's fine," she replied, her voice just a bit raspy. She pulled the covers over her shoulders now and turned on her side. She exhaled lightly before she glanced back at Java.

"Are you hungry?" she asked.

Noelle simply shook her head while a few tears rolled down her cheeks. She breathed deeply and buried her head beneath the covers so her cries were muffled. She calmed herself as she tried to speak. "Don't you wish that sometimes everything's just a dream…and that when you wake up everything will be fine?" she said quietly.

"Yeah, sometimes," Java replied.

"Then why can't I wake up…just this once?" she said slowly. She felt her mom crawl into the bed next to her. Noelle then rested her head against her shoulder once again.

"Because, sweetie, life's gonna deal you cards that you may not know how to play. But once you figure it out, once you play at life's game, you're going to realize that it's not about the experiences that will shape your future. It's what you gain and how you use it that counts. As for you, kid, you're gonna be just fine. Trust me."

"God I hope so," she sighed.

"I'm not God, but I know so," Java smirked. "So are you hungry for anything? You haven't eaten since yesterday at lunch."

"No," she simply replied.

"You still have to eat…even a little," she told her. "Look, I'll bring you back your favorite, crème brulee."

"I just want to sleep," Noelle said.

Java stood up now, begining to leave the room, "Okay, just call me if you need anything. I'll have your crème brulee waiting for you when you wake up." She walked out of the room now and faced a couple of her guards. "One of you stay here, make sure no one disturbs her," she said quietly.

The guards did as they were told until late the next morning. At about ten o'clock, Noelle finally came out of her room. She was still dressed in her pajamas. "Have you seen Java?" she asked. When the guards told her that they didn't, she simply walked back into her room and back into the depths of her purple sheets. From there, she slept some more.

In the computer room, Java, Ved and Ram were all busy at work, except maybe for Ved. The boy was fuming mad. The mission that Ram told Byte about was the mission that he wanted and it would even place him higher on the officer rankings. He paced back and forth, until he finally spoke to his leader. "Ram, why couldn't you give me the job?" he asked, demanding an answer.

Ram calmly laced his latex covered hands together and turned to the boy. "Because I think Byte would do a splendid job. She's quick, she's organized-"

"But she's got different priorities. That job should be mine and you know it."

At this moment, Java turned around in her chair and stood up. "If Ram thinks that Byte could do it, so be it. There are other missions for you to do."

Ved scoffed, "Oh shut up, Java. Don't defend her just because she's your daughter."

"Ved! How dare you speak to my wife like that? If I think she can do it, she will do it! I am Ram, I make the decisions around here!" he yelled.

The boy sighed, "I bet you're missing a very important fact, a fact that could jeopardize Byte's performance. You said she was quick and organized, well forget quick and organized. We all know for a fact that it'll be half-assed, especially with your little Byte in the condition she's in."

_"Ved, don't you dare say it," _Java thought. She stepped between the boy and Ram now. "The kid doesn't know what he's talking about."

"Oh really, Java? How do you explain her illnesses, fainting after the game, or her lackluster performance? She's pregnant, Ram. Yeah, I said it. Commander Byte is expecting a little bundle of joy," Ved smirked.

Ram stared at Java for a moment, his rage beginning to rise. "Get the girl in here right now!" he demanded. He watched his wife leave as he inhaled deeply with the vein in his neck throbbing with anger.

_"Let the drama unravel,"_ the boy thought then chuckled to himself.

Java walked down the hallway quickly and suddenly burst into Noelle's room. "Noelle, honey, get up. You have to get dressed….quickly," she said.

Noelle groggily got up and changed into some new clothes, as in a new uniform. "What? Why?" she asked. She slipped on her phaser then her communicator.

"Ram just found out about your baby, he's mad…I don't have very much time to explain but you have to keep your guard up. You can't let the things he'll say get to you, alright?"

She nodded and finally followed Java out the door, fully dressed in her Techno outfit. Upon entering the computer room she looked at Ram then to her mother. "You wanted to see me, Ram?"

By this time, the Techno lord had calmed down enough. He turned around and faced the young girl, "Tell me, Byte, I'm curious to know if you are still a valuable member of my team. If you plan to accept this mission, how do you intend to evacuate all plans necessary?"

"Well that's easy, I plan to evacuate these plans with 100 percent of my effort," Byte replied.

"Oh really? Even in your condition?"

She looked at him, just a bit confused…or at least that's how she played it off, "What do you mean?"

"Commander, babies are harbingers of disease and distraction. How do you plan to do your job as best as possible?"

"Well as Commander of the Technos, I intend to command my troops to the best of my ability. If that means having to balance other priorities, so be it."

"You are only one person, Byte, let's remember. If you mean to evacuate your so-called plans with 100 percent of your effort, where's the rest of it? Wouldn't you agree that a person could only give so much? That there is nothing more than 100 percent?" Ram asked with his brows raised.

Noelle nodded, "Yes, I'd agree."

"I'm glad you agree. So soon, you'll undergo the procedure I've arranged," he said and handed her a folder with a few papers.

She read over a few of the papers and sighed, "An abortion? You're asking me to get an abortion?"

"I'm not asking you to, I'm telling you to," he simply replied.

His words astonished her. She clenched her fists just as a way to keep her temper under control.

"You don't agree with this procedure?" Ram asked.

"Of course I don't! This is a life we're talking about, not just some meaningless item. You can't just ask-"

"Don't tell me what I can and cannot do!" Ram yelled. "You are Commander of the Technos! You have duties to fulfill!"

"But it is not in my duty to kill a child!" Noelle barked back.

He glared at her fiercely as he began to speak slowly. "Techno is your priority and Techno is your life. If you keep this baby, then you are no longer a part of this empire. You will leave all of this behind just for a stupid baby. All of the luxuries, your family, your friends, will be gone...forever."

Byte huffed angrily and reached up behind her head then slipped the communicator off. She tossed it on to Ram's table and looked him in the eyes. "Then I am no longer Techno." With that said, she simply walked out the doors of the computer room then to her bedroom. After packing for only five minutes, she stormed out of Ram's Palace with nothing but herself and a duffel bag.


	23. Noelle

Noelle wandered throughout the city aimlessly until she found herself on the border between open spaced freedom and congested imprisonment. She stepped forward on to a green field where she heard nothing but the rustling of the tall oak trees and the gentle brush of the grass. Her chunky military boots seemed to be unsympathetic toward the crumbly dirt as she became uncomfortable and soon clumsy once she stumbled over thick piles of the soil. She disregarded the small inconvenience and continued to walk for a couple more miles. Noelle had walked a few miles and she grew tired and hot because she also had to carry that heavy duffel bag. About two-hundred yards in front of her, she spotted a small shack. She walked faster toward it, just to shelter herself from the beaming hot sun. As she walked hastily, she forgot to mind the thick dirt beneath her and she tripped over a large clump of it. It caused her to fall on to the ground where she found one of the sleeves of her uniform torn. She looked down to see if the boots were alright and they weren't. She'd broken the sole off her left boot and the material off her other boot had ripped. Angrily, she took both shoes off then threw them far away from her. She walked now, barefoot in the dirt.

There she found herself in front of the sixteen feet long, twelve feet wide, and nine feet tall shack. It seemed roomy enough for one person and she could most likely make a living in the space. She walked inside the wooden shack. The walls of the place seemed thin with small gaps between some of the wooden planks that kept it together. The roof of the place was made of tin that was now rusted because of the elements. To Noelle's left was a small window that let a significant amount of light into the shack. She looked around the small living space and found an old cot as well as some old cans lying around. Other than that, there wasn't much else to the place. The simplicity of it all relaxed her. It seemed that this place was much better than the jail-cell she called her home.

She sat on the cot with her skin just glistening from the perspiration. For the next few minutes she just curled up on the cot, unable to function like her normal self. She was so incredibly tired that for the next hour or so she just wanted to sleep.

Only after two hours did she wake up to find herself glistening with perspiration. "This is disgusting," she muttered to herself once she realized that the red Techno symbol on her forehead had smeared. She bent down, unzipped her duffel bag, and brought out a towel then some soap, shampoo, conditioner, and some fresh clothes. When she sat back up, she was startled by a noise that came from the door. She heard a small tap, and then another as the door moved slightly. She froze as she just heard the tapping get louder.

Then the door swung open. The tapping she heard was nonetheless the pitter-patter of a dog. She froze once again and stared at the dog with her grey eyes. The dog, a German shepherd, stared back with its tail stagnant. He approached the girl slowly while Noelle backed away. Then it walked off to the left side of the shack and picked up an old ball that was lying around. The dog brought it back to her and dropped it by her feet. Its tail wagged slightly now as it took a seat on the floor. Noelle hesitated for a moment and finally picked up the ball. She looked down at the dog, "D…did you want this?" The dog loudly barked back at her. "Okay!" she said fearfully and quickly chucked the ball through the door frame.

The dog sprinted after the ball then caught it with its powerful yet gentle jowls. He then trotted back up to Noelle and sat in front of her with the ball still in its mouth. He dropped the ball again but then moved up to her and demanded to be petted.

"You don't have a dog tag on you," Noelle muttered as she patted the dog on the head while she looked around his neck for some sort of collar. "You remind me of Rin Tin Tin," she smirked. Upon finishing her sentence, the dog barked sharply then whined.

"Okay, that's not your name. What about Bob?" she asked, only to receive a small growl.

"Cujo? Lassie? Beethoven? Todo?" she sighed as those were not the dog's name. Well at least the names she gave didn't get a good reaction from the dog. "Well, my old dog's name was General."

The dog's tail wagged now as his tongue lolled out of his mouth. Noelle nodded to the dog, "Alright, your name's General. Now if you excuse me, I'm going to go take a bath." She stood up now with her supplies in her hands and stepped aside. As she walked out of the shack, General followed behind her with a towel between his teeth. She heard him following behind her, turned around, and saw that the dog was smart enough to recognize that when a person said the word "bath", he'd go get a towel. She smiled then gently grabbed the towel from him, "Go on and go back home."

The dog just stood there and stared at her as if it was part of his duty to watch her. "Alright, fine," she sighed. She walked a couple hundred yards to a river. She set down her items as the dog went to go splash around in the water. Noelle watched him and once he was finished, he walked straight back to her then shook the liquid off his fur. She then stripped off her clothes, wrapped herself in her towel and headed towards the river. She hung the towel on a tree branch nearby while General lay down on land with his back to her, keeping guard. Noelle did the usual bath routine of: shampoo first, shampoo again, soap, and conditioner. Once finished, she dried off and changed into her new outfit.

No, no, it wasn't just another Techno uniform. It was a set of her own clothing, "virt apparel" as some may call it. She now wore a black pair of tights under black knee length leather boots. On top was a cream colored, billowy dress made of jersey material. It was a short sleeve dress with a bit of a low cut and it was slightly asymmetrically cut at the bottom. The longest end, on her right side, reached the middle of her thigh while the shortest end just hit the bottom of her bum. On her waist, over the dress, was a thin half inch belt that distinguished the top end from the bottom end of the dress. Nothing on her seemed Techno. The only remnant of her past was the silver necklace that her mother had given to her.

She folded up her old uniform and gathered her things. She watched as General grabbed the pile of old clothes gently then followed her. The two walked back to the shack side by side. Soon, the day turned to night.

Java angrily walked down the hallway toward Noah's room. She knocked loudly and once he answered the door, she let him have it. "What the hell did you think you were doing? You're a guard around this place! Wouldn't you think that my daughter, hastily leaving would cause some sort of reaction from you?"

"I tried! The damn girl was too quick!" Noah yelled.

"This is my daughter, Noah! You can't just say that you tried. She's out there by herself, in danger, and pregnant…mind you. The fuck am I gonna do now? Thanks to you, I've lost my own kid."

Noah shook his head, walked out, and slammed the door shut behind him. "Hey! She's mine too! You can't blame this whole goddamn thing on me!"

"She was never yours, Noah. Saying that you care doesn't mean anything anymore," Java replied sharply then stormed off.

She walked hastily and found Damien and Jay standing nearby. "Have the guards said anything?" she asked.

"No, nothing," Jay replied. "Look, I'm sure she'll be fine. She hasn't been gone for that long. Besides, I'm sure she can defend herself against anything."

"If it makes you feel any better, I'll go out first thing tomorrow morning," Damien then said.

"Go right ahead," Java said, obviously stressing herself.

Jay stepped in front of her, "You need to relax, Java. Everything's gonna be fine, just….think of something funny."

"Yeah, like that'll help," she replied sarcastically.

_**Flashback**_

Java poked her head out from beneath her purple sheets. She heard some sort of tapping noise coming from her window. It couldn't have been the wind or rain because it was perfectly still outside. Reluctantly, she got out of bed to go see what it was. As she opened the blinds then the window, she saw that nothing was there. When she looked outside of her window, all she saw was the morning sun and a few guards. She sighed, knowing she got out of bed for nothing.

But as soon as that thought reached her head something flew through her window, skimming against the top of her head along the way. She shrieked loudly, turned around and ran off…with the bird in her room. Once she ran, though, she crashed into a chair and fell clumsily on the floor.

Pain ripped throughout her shoulder as she crawled along the ground. She looked at the site of the pain and quickly became horrified with herself. "My shoulder's not supposed to be there!" she said.

Jay burst through Java's door. "Java, what's wrong?"

"Bird!" she yelled, unable to complete her thoughts at first. "There's a freakin bird in my room!"

He looked around and saw that the bird was flying helplessly around the woman's room. He looked down at her, trying to hold down a laugh. "Better get outta here before the bird gets you," he warned jokingly.

She didn't take his warning as a joke, she took it very seriously. Now she dragged herself on the floor and out of the room as Jay was busy catching the creature. Once outside, she found Noelle coming out of her room.

"Java, what's with all the noise?" Noelle asked, still in her pajama bottoms, "And why are you on the ground?"

"Fucking bird tried to rip my head off," Java replied quickly and somewhat fearfully.

Her daughter tried to hold in a laugh, but succumbed to the humor. She chuckled quietly at first but the laughter couldn't contain itself. She roared with laughter.

"It's not funny, Noelle!"

"Oh," she giggled, "but it is."

"My god you're a mean daughter….help me up!" Java said loudly.

At that moment, Siva walked out of her room, dressed in pajamas as well. She sighed and leaned against her doorway, "Noelle, what'd you do to your mom?"

"She laughed at me, that's what she did," Java interrupted.

Noelle chuckled some more, "No! I didn't do a thing. I just found her on the ground like that." She then bent down and helped her mother up. Once she saw that Java's shoulder had been dislocated, she gasped. "Oh god!" she said, nearly dropping her along the way.

"Yeah my arm's not so pretty, ain't it," she said with a smirk, even though she was in a horrendous amount of pain. She walked next to her daughter, heading for the hospital to get her shoulder back into its socket.

When the two of them reached their destination the medic was already there, awaiting their arrival. "Commander Byte, what happened?" he asked as the assistants brought Java back to another room.

Noelle stared at him, wide eyed for a moment, trying to hold in her laughter. "You see, Java, well…um," she chuckled, "A bird flew into her room, she freaked out, and made a crash landing."

"That's a nice summary," he joked. "I'll get her fixed up."

She followed the medic into the room where Java stayed. Her mother looked nervous, very nervous about what they would do about her shoulder.

"Alright, Commander Java, you have to stay very still," he warned.

"Noelle, hold my hand," she then said.

"You're going to crush it," her daughter replied. But once she got that "certain look" from Java, she reluctantly moved over and grabbed her hand.

"Alright, ready? One…two…" the medic placed his hand down on Java's shoulder, ready to push it back up to its original spot.

"Wait I have a ring on," she muttered quickly, but the medic didn't hear her.

"Three!" he placed Java's shoulder back into its socket quickly, making a sickening crack while Java squeezed her daughter's hand…hard.

Noelle tried to scream out, but didn't have time to make the noise. Within those two seconds, the ring on her finger dug into the sides of her adjacent fingers. It really felt like her hand had been broken. After a few moments of her hand just throbbing with pain, she looked down at her mother with her left hand shaking.

"Commander Byte, we'll take some x-rays if you want," the medic smiled.

"Yes, please," she replied, unenthused.

Hours later, Java and Noelle arrived back to the hotel. Java came back with her left arm in a sling while Noelle came back with bruised bones in her left hand. The elder of the two sighed, "Alright, if it makes you feel any better...it's a good thing we're both right handed."

_**End of Flashback**_

After about a month of searching for her daughter, Java still had no luck. She grew scared and constantly stressed herself about Noelle's welfare. Now, a stressed out Java didn't equal happy times at the Techno base. Instead she actually took out her anger on the workouts at the gym and sometimes Ved. The boy did, after all, purposely spill the beans about Noelle out of spite.

She strolled out to the market to get some air. She looked around the different tables and various knick knacks being sold. There, she caught a glimpse of some familiar face. It was Noelle.

She watched her for a few moments as she slowly approached the girl. She stopped now as she saw that Noelle was working her way of stealing a few apples by handing them to a dog, which then put them in her bag. Once she was finished, she moved on to a different stall where she quickly took a candy bar at the moment the vendor looked away.

Her daughter looked considerably different. Now that the Techno make-up was washed away, she saw the real face of the girl. Her eyes naturally seemed to pop and give a nice contrast to her glowing, caramel colored skin. Noelle's hair was straighter than usual, apart from a few waves here and there. And the girl's virt apparel? Well, Java thought they complimented the girl's body perfectly. No one could tell that the girl had a growing bump underneath.

Now she approached her and grabbed her by the wrist. "And what've you got there, missy?" she said as she led her away from the market.

Noelle fought her at first but once she looked at who it was, she stopped immediately. "What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing. Noelle, I've been worried sick! You could've at least let me know where you went off to," Java reprimanded. "Come on, you're coming home."

Noelle shook her head as Java let go of her. "I can't come with you. Ram will have me deleted once he sees me there."

"You don't know that. Ram won't see you anyway because you'll be in your room and at least you'll be safe."

"I don't want to go back there," she said.

Java sighed, "Now you're just being stubborn."

"No! I can't go back there and you know it. Now unless something is worked out, I'm still a virt," Noelle explained.

The girl's mother sighed and shook her head. Java hated to admit that the girl was right, she wasn't safe back at home. "Alright, then how do I know that you're safe?" she asked.

"You're gonna have to trust me," she replied.

Java nodded before she looked over her shoulder to see a few guards looking her way, "I have to go. Be careful out here, okay?"

"Okay," Noelle finally replied as she watched her mother leave. She looked down at the dog to see that he had been sitting by her feet the entire time. She nodded to him and they went on their way.

Damien watched from afar and slowly began to follow her. He trailed behind Noelle for a few miles before he saw that she reached the country side. He pulled out a small device from his pocket and tossed it toward the brush. He crept down as he watched a German shepherd pick it up. He stopped then turned back to head back to base. It made him happy knowing that she was alive and doing well. More so, now that she was out of her uniform he noticed how much more attractive she was. On his way back to the hotel, he stopped beside Java with a smile on his face. "It's good to know that she's found a place of her own," he whispered to her.

"What? You saw?" Java asked.

"Yeah. Don't worry though, no one could get her from where she's at…especially with that dog hanging around her," he said and shrugged.

As the duo walked back to the shack, General surprised Noelle with the device. He dropped it at her feet but just when she was about to pick it up, he snatched it again and ran off with it. "General get back here!" she yelled then ran after him. "Come back, now!"

The dog simply looked back at her as he trotted back to the shack. Noelle sat down on the bed and finally allowed the dog to come near her. She breathed deeply as she stroked his fur. "What is that thing," she said quietly. She gently took the device from the dog's mouth and examined it.

"How'd you get this anyway?" she muttered. She noticed the thing was blinking then she sighed deeply. "Dammit…" she sighed. She looked on the device to see if there was any way she could turn it off. She took the damn thing and slammed it to the floor. Funny, it wouldn't break. She looked to see what it was made of. Not only was it made of some polycarbonate plastic, but it also had steel corners and screws. Noelle sighed then laid down on the cot as it was time for some much needed rest.

Back at the hotel Damien stared at the computer screen while he patiently waited for a small red dot to appear. After a few moments he had some luck. "Hey, Java," he called.

"What," she replied.

He gestured to the computer screen with a small smile, "You wanna know if she's safe, right?"

Java stared down at it then gave a sigh out of relief, "Yes, of course." She shook her head as she looked over at the kid. "It's great to know that you've tracked her down. But then again, I saw her today and I trust that she's gonna be fine."

"Do you want me to turn the thing off then?" Damien asked.

"It's all up to you. I know I'm not going out there anytime soon but if you're really concerned about her, keep it on."

He nodded and stared at it for a while. "I'm keeping it on," he muttered then got up from his seat. When he looked back at Java, he decided that he'd go out again for some fresh air. He left the computer room with a small device in his hand with a screen on it. Nonetheless, it was also connected to Noelle's device.

Right when he approached the market, he noticed a raven haired man running amuck. Damien approached the man and grabbed him by the shoulder when he bumped into him. "Excuse me, Sheriff," he muttered to him.

"Sorry, man. I'm just in a little bit of a rush….my girl's going into labor," Lex finally said, just out of breath.

"Oh, better get on that then," Damien smirked.

"I can't. She wants me to find her niece and sister, I'm sure you know them. I need Java and Byte at the mall; can you use that walkie talkie of yours?"

He nodded then pressed on his communicator, "Java, you're needed at the mall…ASAP."

Once he was finished, Lex turned to him, "What about Byte?"

"It's complicated but I'll have her over there. Now go, she needs you," Damien said. He watched Lex run off and then he ran off himself. He looked down at his device periodically to make sure he was headed in the right direction. Once he made it out of the city, he noticed that the sun was about to set. "God, I have to find her soon," he muttered to himself. He jogged amongst the wild grass now as he searched for the girl. The location was somewhat right since it led him to an empty shack. He looked inside and noticed an empty duffel bag and then the location device.

Damien sighed softly and rubbed his forehead. He stopped suddenly as he heard a distant bark. He walked out of the shack, beginning followed the intermittent barks. After a few hundred yards from the shack, he found himself at a river. From there, he froze. He spotted her but all he could do was stare. He saw the water just trickle down her back while she rinsed off the remnants of the shampoo. Carefully now she got out of the river and wrapped a towel around herself. He approached her quietly and once he got close enough, he touched her shoulder.

She jumped at his touch then screamed. She scrambled to get some of the towel back on her as she tried to compose herself. "What the fuck are you doing here?" she finally asked as Damien was turned away.

"Is it okay to look now?" he asked.

"Well, sure," she replied. She then looked down at General, "Some guard dog you are."

"It's Siva. She's gone into labor and you need to come with me," Damien said and watched as Noelle grinned and began to walk hastily back to the shack. "Noelle, be careful, don't walk so fast. You could fall or something, slow down-"

"Okay, mom," she joked. Once inside the shack, she turned him around, "You peek and you're dead." She slipped on her outfit again, but quickly this time around.

Damien sighed, "Are you ready yet?"

"Yeah," she said and was at his side once again. "General, stay here."

As the two began to walk, Damien looked at Noelle once more. He smiled as he saw her growing bump just poking out from her top. "You're what….four or five months along?"

"Yeah, somewhere around there," she replied. "Why?"

"I'm just making sure you don't go into labor…because we're quite far from civilization." he laughed.

"Don't worry, I promise I won't go into labor just yet. That's Siva's job right now," Noelle joked.

At the mall, Java stood in the bedroom next to Siva. Fearfully, she handed her a cup of water. The sun had set long ago and by this time Java had only been here for the past half an hour or so. It was at this moment that she'd actually grown quite scared of her little sister and it made her wonder if Noelle would become this way when she'd go into labor. "Here, sis, you wanted this?"

Siva nodded and took a sip. "Where the fuck is Noelle? She said she'd be here! Why isn't she here? My god, this is an absolute FAIL!"

"She's coming, Siv," Java answered quickly then looked to Lex. "How long ago did the contractions start?"

He rubbed his forehead, "About seven hours ago."

"My god, you sent the frantic one over here. Have you seen Janelle in emergencies?" Siva muttered. "At least Noelle's the calm and reasonable one."

Java shook her head, "You mean you had to deal with it for the past seven hours?"

"Siva's not an 'it', she's a woman-"

"Yeah, I'm not so sure about that anymore," she replied. She looked at Siva then stood at her bedside.

Another thirty minutes passed and Java, Siva, and Lex waited impatiently for the 'reasonable' one to arrive. "Okay, I'm here," Noelle finally said as she entered through the door. She saw her mother head toward her and give her a huge hug.

"Thank god you're here. Noelle, she's scaring me. I'm starting to crack under the pressure, I don't know what to do," Java said quickly and frantically.

"What? Who?" Noelle asked.

"Siva," her mother replied as if she was about to cry.

The girl could help but laugh a little. She walked toward Siva and stood at her bedside, "Hey there, Siv."

"Where the hell have you been?" Siva asked. "For the past hour I've been stuck with those two."

"I…does it matter? What's important is that I'm here now."

"Well that's great. Why couldn't I get pregnant last and you go first?" she cried.

Noelle looked back at Java, just a bit worried as to how to react to her aunt. "I….I don't know. You're older than me…so it's better for you to-"

"Are you calling me old?" Siva snapped.

"What? N…No…"

"Then what are you trying to hint at, Niece?"

Noelle shrugged, "I was just saying that you're more experienced to handle things like these."

"Noelle that's where you're wrong because last time I checked, I never had a kid shoot out of my-"

"Okay! I get it, Siv. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to call you old," the girl said abruptly.

Siva sighed, "Why couldn't it be Janelle this time around?"

Java stepped in, ready to defend herself. "Hey-"

"Oh, don't even get me started," she said.

At that moment, Noelle walked away for a moment toward Java. "Mom I'm scared," she said quietly and quickly.

"Noelle, get back here! You need to hold my hand!" Siva yelled.

"Please don't make me," Noelle pleaded to her mother in which Java turned to Damien and gestured over to Siva.

Damien then nodded and headed over to Siva's bedside. He held her hand for a moment, and then let out a silent scream, trying to make no noise so Siva could concentrate. The woman's grip was so astoundingly strong that he thought she'd broken it. "She's crushing my hand," he squeaked to Noelle.

The girl turned to her mother and sighed. She shook her head at the thought of herself going through the same thing as Siva.

"What's wrong?" Java asked.

"I can't….I don't want to go through the same thing she is," she replied and gestured to her aunt, who was in agony.

"Well one way or another, you're gonna have to do it."

"N…no…no please don't. The baby's gonna stay in there," she looked down at her bump, "You hear that? You stay in there! Do not come out!"

"Noelle!" Java exclaimed but let out a laugh. "You can't just tell your baby to stay in there forever." She looked over to her sister as a smile came upon her face.

"Are you taking joy in her pain?" Noelle asked.

"Oh, you don't even know. I do that with everybody," she smirked. "I'm only joking, kid. You didn't think I was that mean, did you?"

She crossed her arms and let a small laugh out, "In all honesty, yeah. Don't get me wrong but if I didn't know you, I'd think you'd be such a bitch to work with."

"Well thanks, kid-"

"What do you two think you're doing? Get over here!" Siva yelled.

Grudgingly, the duo turned around with their expressions clearly read on their faces. Both were less than excited to be back with the she-devil.


	24. Soar

After hours upon hours of pure pain, Siva finally welcomed her new baby daughter. She held the tiny bundle of joy as she was so relieved, so happy that her baby was safe. Lex stared down at both Siva and his new daughter with a smile on his face. "So what's the name going to be, Siv?" he asked.

Siva smiled then chuckled, "I have a feeling she's going to be just as rambunctious as you are. She already looks like you too."

"Yeah, she whines like you too," Lex laughed.

Their new baby did indeed look a bit more like Lex than Siva. She had the same dark hair, naturally pouty lips, and nose as her father. She, however, received the same joyful eyes as her mother.

"How about Alexis?" Siva finally asked, "Little Lexi for short."

He nodded as he looked down at his little twin, "I like it. I think it suits her already."

Java and Noelle finally walked in, both red-eyed from being up in the wee hours of the night. "There's my new niece," Java smiled once she saw the baby.

"You wanna hold her?" Siva asked.

"Sure…of course," she replied. Once she was handed Alexis, she grinned. "She's so cute, so cute that she's gonna have the boys after her."

"Not if I can help it," Lex said.

Java smirked then looked down at the baby once more, "Noelle, do you wanna hold her?" After she didn't hear a reply, she called her daughter's name once more. "Noelle…kid." She turned around now and found her asleep on a sofa nearby with her left arm on the armrest and her face buried into her arm.

Damien walked into the room and once he saw Java with the baby, he smiled. It was actually nice to see her relatively smiling and gushing over something other than jewelry. He took a seat next to Noelle. "She's out cold isn't she," he smirked.

Siva chuckled, "Whatever you do, don't wake her up. She takes after her mom and me. If you dare to wake her up, she'll rip you to pieces. Oh, and she's a light sleeper."

"You're too cute! I could just eat you right up," Java gushed, she was in her own little world.

Damien chuckled, but suddenly he felt Noelle move on the couch. He felt her put her head against his arm as she put her feet up. "I thought you said she was a light sleeper. Wouldn't she hear us talking?" he whispered.

"She must be really tired then…_really _tired," Siva replied.

Noelle continued to snuggle up against Damien, not even realizing it wasn't him. She sighed quietly while a tear rolled down her cheek.

He stared down at her then moved his arm out from underneath her head and wrapped it around her while she slept in his lap now. He wiped the tear away from her cheek and then the other that rolled down her other cheek. "She's dreaming about him, isn't she," Damien said.

Java nodded as she handed Alexis back to her mom. "Yeah. I don't think she has accepted it yet…that Max is gone."

"I agree," he said.

She smirked then moved a few stray hairs away from Noelle's face. "Go ahead and take her back to the base…to her room. Be careful please."

Damien nodded and then scooped the girl up. He was surprised to see that she didn't freak out or even notice that she was being carried. "Wow, really?"

"'Wow really' what?" Java asked.

"She's really out…and she's really light," he chuckled.

Java smiled slightly, "Well she only weighs like two ounces. With a baby on board, make it three."

Siva looked at Damien and Java then to Lex, "Why wouldn't you ever do that for me?"

"What. Carry you when you're sleeping?" he asked.

"Yeah."

"Because you're a light sleeper and you'd rip me to pieces if I dare wake you," he laughed, "I guess it runs in the family."

She scoffed but then realized that he was right. She looked over to Damien now and watched the boy leave. "Java, why didn't they ever get together?"

"It's a long story….but Damien and Noelle know that they can't be anything more than good friends," Java replied.

"It's a shame. They would have been really cute together."

She shrugged, "Well, Noelle had Max. They were cute too"

Siva grinned, "What was that, Java? You actually defended the Noelle and Max relationship?"

"Yeah, so?"

Damien carried Noelle back into the hotel, aiming for her bedroom. Once there he lay her gently down on her bed then slipped the sheets over her after he'd taken off her shoes. He stared at her for a moment before he left. When he got up off the bed, he felt a light crinkle underneath his hand. He checked to see what it was and saw that it was an envelope filled with about three letters.

He looked back at her, made sure she was asleep, and pulled the letters out of the envelope. He read the first one, the notification of Max's death. He placed that one behind the next letter. He carefully examined Max's letter, both pages of it. After doing so he sighed. [i]_"Don't worry, Noelle. I'll be here,"[/i] _he thought to himself. He returned the letters back to their original place and then left her room.

The next morning Noelle woke up and saw that she was back in her old room. She sighed deeply before she got out of bed. Right when she was about to walk out the door, Java came into her room.

"Morning, kiddo," she said. Once she saw her face, she smirked. "Nice…uh….tribal markings."

Noelle looked in her mirror now and noticed that her make-up had run down her face. From her tear ducts, creeping down both sides of her nose and mouth, down to her chin, was grey make-up mixed with tears. "I look like a cheetah," she muttered.

Java shrugged, "At least you're a cute cheetah."

She smirked and then proceeded to wipe off her make-up, "So, how's Siva? I'm kinda bummed I didn't get to meet Alexis."

"She's doing fine, so far," Java took a seat on Noelle's bed now, "But the real question is, how are _you_ doing?"

The girl shrugged nonchalantly, "I'm…okay. I've definitely had better days."

"You sure about that?"

"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?"

"I'm just curious. I just gotta ask you one thing," Java reluctantly said.

"What is it?" Noelle asked then turned around to her with her make-up all redone.

"Are you aware that you cry in your sleep?"

"You're joking right?" Noelle scoffed.

"No, I'm not. Last night, right before I was about to sleep I heard you crying. Even before then, I saw it," she sighed, "So either you've got some over-active tear ducts or there are just some things you've got pent up inside of you that you just need to let go of."

She shook her head, unable to accept her mother's words, "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Noelle, whatever it is, you've got to let it go. You [i]_need[/i] _to accept that he's gone."

"Don't you think I've tried?" Noelle snapped. "I've tried and tried but I just can't-"

"Can't? Or won't move on?" Java asked. She stood up now and approached her daughter. "It's been a month, Noelle. I know you've cried and cried and you're still hurt. But now it's time for you to heal."

Noelle sighed deeply, as she was really trying to keep from crying. She looked Java in the eyes, with her own eyes already watering. "Java, have you ever lost someone? Someone you wished you had for one more moment but then they're just whisked away without so much as a good-bye?"

Java shook her head slowly, "No."

"Then you don't know," Noelle said quietly as a single tear rolled down her cheek, "You don't know…just how hard it is. I've been living every day, just wanting that one more moment…that single second just to say that I love him. But I can't and I have to live every moment knowing that I can't. "

Java sighed, "Alright, kid, alright." She finally nodded and wrapped her arms around her daughter, pulling her into a tight hug. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-"

"It's okay," Noelle smiled slightly.

As the two pulled away from each other, Java pulled out a small white envelope from beneath Noelle's purple sheets. "I think it's time for you to read this," she said and handed her the envelope.

She took the envelope and watched as Java left the room. She sighed deeply, hesitant to read the letter but she eventually forced her eyes to scan over the words.

**Noelle-**

** Amongst all of the things I have ever said to you, I just want you to know that I loved you. I loved you greatly and it hurts me to know that I won't be there. Noelle, if you are reading this…it means that I failed to keep my promise. **

**But please don't be sad. I know you're hurting, but you have to be strong. Do it for our baby…do it for us. You cannot go on living with such a burden on your back. You've got to move forward, Noelle. I know there are people there to help you but you have to be willing to accept their help, Java's especially. She knows you better than anyone else in the world and I think she knows that already. I have complete trust that she'll get you back on track. **

**Though many people, such as her, didn't approve of us I think we were the best out there. I'm not being biased or anything…haha yeah I kind of am being biased. There's no lying there. I have reason, though, as to why I think so. Hmph don't think I'm being cocky, Noelle. I know you're smirking right now.**

**My main reason as to why I think we were the best out there is because we had balance. You were yin and I was yang. You, Noelle, you are like no one else I've ever met. You are the perfect balance of everything I could ever ask for. You're smart, passionate, beautiful, fiery, and determined…although sometimes you did have the genetically-horrendous temper. I love you for all those things though, including your temper. Hey, maybe sometimes I really did need a kick in the ass. I'm sure that'll come in handy later for when our son or daughter is acting up.**

**Speaking of our baby, I thought I'd ask a favor…one last favor from you…actually make that two. The first favor is that I want you to name our baby Janelle if it's a girl. No, not Max please. I can't have my little girl running around with a boy's name. Besides, I think Java was more than just a good influence on your life and I think she'll be the same with our baby. If you do have a boy though, I'll leave the name choice up to you. I wouldn't mind him being named Max but not Maxwell. **

**My second favor, Noelle, is for you to give out baby lots and lots of love. I seriously mean a lot, baby. I want you to give him or her extra kisses on the cheek, you know…one from you and maybe five from me. **

**You don't know how badly I'd have wanted to be there. It hurts me that I can't be there to meet our baby. I have complete faith in you, though. I know that you'll do your best at being a good mom. **

**Apart from that, I want you to live a life. Live without any inhibitions, Noelle. That's the only way to do it. I want you to be free. Don't let my departure hold you back. Just go out there and have some fun, wreak havoc in the city, go out with Java and throw back a couple of drinks (after the baby's arrival, though). Do anything! You deserve it.**

**Lastly, I want you to know that I'll always love you. You made my heart soar with just each step you took. So as long as you keep going it'll be like I'm right there with you.**

**All my love,**

** Max**

Noelle sighed deeply as she quickly wiped her tears away. She sat on the bed for a moment until she finally decided to walk out of her room with the letter in hand. She saw Java waiting for her and finally she cracked a smile.

"What is it?" Java asked.

"You know," she smirked, "as much as you and Max didn't get along, he actually liked you."

"Really now," she smiled and began walking with her daughter out to the back of the hotel. Once they were both outside, Java turned to her. "You better go, kid," she sighed.

"Yeah, i'll…see you around," Noelle replied. As much as she wanted to stay, she knew she had to go for the sake of her baby's safety. She nodded to Java and started to walk out of the techno building.

"Noelle, wait," Java called. She walked hastily up to her, took her headset off, and slipped it on to her daughter. "Now you call me if you need anything, okay?"

"Okay," Noelle simply replied.

With that, Java watched her daughter leave once again. "Please be safe," she muttered quietly as she slowly turned away and began to head back into the hotel.

_**Flashback**_

The undesirable crash of plates and glass, and the harsh screams of a woman is what woke Java late at night. She peered out the window, curious as to what was occurring at her neighbor's home. From there, she saw the flash of red hair as the woman in the house seemed to be screaming at someone in front of her. Java opened her window now to see if she could hear the conversation…or rather the screaming match from the other house.

"Don't yell at her! She's only a kid!" a man yelled. It was Ron, the eldest son in the family. Next to him stood Mega, who was holding the hand of the little girl.

"I'll yell at who ever I want!" Jane screamed and then looked down at the girl, "Robert isn't here, is he? So there's no one here to protect you worthless piece of shit." She glanced back up at Mega, who muttered something under his breath.

"What's that you wanted to say, Joshua?" she asked him harshly.

"I said that Noelle shouldn't listen to you," he replied sternly.

Her hand struck his cheek within milliseconds. She angrily took Noelle's hand from his and dragged the helpless five-year-old across the room, past all the empty bottles of booze that sat on the coffee table. She pushed her out the back door, took a bucket filled with cold water and threw the contents on to the child. Jane dropped the bucket now and held up a yard stick. With the kid soaking wet, she slapped the stick against her back. It caused the little girl to scream out. "Shut up!" Jane yelled and brought the stick down again.

Java ran out of her room now and outside, into the bitter cold. She somehow unlocked the side door to Jane's backyard and ran in. Right when Jane was about to hit Noelle with the giant stick, she caught it. "Not another hit, Jane," she said firmly.

"And what are you going to do about it, Java?" she asked, her breath reeking of alcohol. "Call the police? Well let me remind you, I'm the wife of the city councilman-"

"And let me remind you that the empty bottles of tequila could speak for themselves."

"Just what are you going to say? That I'm an unfit mother?"

Java shrugged nonchalantly, "You're the one holding the yardstick, not me."

Jane glared at her and then threw the yardstick on the ground. She carelessly walked into the house, locking the door behind her.

Java watched her leave before she turned back to the kid in front of her. "Are you alright?" she asked, kneeling down.

Noelle nodded, shaking from the cold wind. "Please don't make me go back," she cried quietly.

She wrapped her jacket around the kid and finally stood up, "I can't promise that you won't be back there." She looked down at the kid to find a helpless pair of grey eyes staring up at her, "But tonight…you can come with me." Java then led Noelle back to her house. She snuck in quietly so as not to wake either Ebony or Siva. She brought her back to her room where she let Noelle have a shirt of Ebony's.

She then sat on the bed next to the kid once she was finished changing. "Does Jane always do this to you?" she asked curiously.

"Yeah," Noelle replied reluctantly. "B…but Ron and Josh try to stop her at least."

"I know," Java sighed. Although the boy did try to stop Jane, it seemed like it didn't work. She looked down at Noelle then smirked. "You should get some sleep, kid. You've had quite a day."

The next morning, Java sat in the kitchen while Siva was busy making some breakfast for the kid. "I can't believe her. Jane seems like such a nice woman," Siva said.

"Yeah, that's what I thought. You should have seen Noelle. The kid seemed so scared, she was even scared to let me touch her," she replied. She looked over her shoulder to see if the kid was behind her before she continued to speak. "There were some nasty bruises on her back, some from last night and some from previous occasions."

Siva shook her head in disbelief, "What I don't understand is how anyone could hit a child."

At that moment, Noelle snuck down the stairs. Quietly, she walked into the kitchen and stood next to Java. "Ebony told me to tell you that Daniel's coming home," she muttered.

"Oh really?" she replied with a slight smile.

"Who is he?"

Siva turned around with pancakes on a plate, and placed it on the table in front of Noelle. "He's our dad…well mine and Java's. C'mon and sit, this plate's yours."

Noelle sat down at the table, carefully grabbed the knife and fork, and began to eat fast as if the girl hadn't eaten for days.

Java and Siva watched in amazement. "Whoa, kid slow down there…you might get a stomach ache," one of them finally said.

"Sorry, I'm just really hungry," she replied.

"It's okay, Noelle. No one's going to take your food," Siva said with a light chuckle. She heard a knock at the door and went to go answer it. When she opened the door she saw him with a bag in his hand. "Dad, be cool," she whispered.

"Why are you whispering?" Daniel replied with a whisper. He smiled then gave Siva a big hug, "What are you talking about 'be cool'? I'm already cool."

"Okay, be extra cool. Noelle is here," she said quietly.

"Noelle? Janie's daughter?" he asked, a grin growing on his face. He stepped into the house and peered over the corner to find a small girl in front of Janelle…or rather, Janie. He looked back to Siva, "She's so cute."

"Then go introduce yourself," Siva said and playfully pushed him into the kitchen.

He stumbled in, casually walked up to his eldest daughter, and kissed her on the forehead. He looked down at Noelle to find piercing grey eyes staring back. "Hi there," he smiled.

"Hi," she replied quietly.

"What's your name?" he asked, taking a seat next to her. He couldn't help but smile, especially since this was the first time he had ever seen or even met his granddaughter.

"My name's Noelle," she said.

Java stood up from the table and moved over to Siva, "You told him to tone it down, right?"

"I tried. You know how he gets," she replied.

After several minutes of speaking to the girl, Daniel went back to his daughters. He smiled once more, "I have a feeling she's gonna be quite the heartbreaker when she's older. Have you seen those eyes? Janie, she's beautiful."

"Yeah, the boys are gonna be after her. But, Dad, really? Janie? It sounds like you can't decide if you want to say Jenny or Johnny."

"All these years and you're still not used to it," he smirked. He heard a knock at the door and opened it. There, he saw Jane at the door, "Hi, Jane."

"Daniel. I don't suppose Java's around, is she?" she asked nonchalantly.

"Yeah, I'm here," she replied curtly.

She stepped out the door and in front of Jane. After closing the door behind her, she stared down at her.

"I want my daughter back," Jane said.

"What. So you can hit her again? She told me everything, Jane."

"That little shit's lying to you, she has no idea what she's talking about."

"Little shit?" Java sighed and shook her head, "Some mother you are."

"Yeah? At least I wasn't the one who was…" Jane smirked, "knocked up."

Right when Java was about to walked back into the house, she stopped dead in her tracks. She turned around slowly and walked up to Jane. "You just made the biggest mistake of your life," she growled, clenching her fist slowly.

"And what are you going to do about it?" she asked, obviously taunting her.

She said nothing and suddenly, "WHACK!" Java's fist met Jane's eye.

Jane faltered, but got up quickly. She charged at Java now, hoping her fist would strike the girl's face.

Java ducked, though. On her way down, she grabbed Jane by the ankle and yanked it up. It caused the woman to trip and fall flat on her face. "Now sidown, ya little shit!" Java yelled. She knelt down over Jane, grabbed her by the hair, and smirked, "If you ever touch one hair on my daughter's head, you're answering to me."

"Your daughter?" Jane asked.

"Yeah, you just met Noelle's mom. You know…the one that got knocked up?"

Moments later, Daniel walked outside with Noelle next to him, "What happened here?"

Java dusted herself off as Jane got up off the ground, "Jane just tripped. Messed herself up a bit."

"Yeah, I was just about to-"

"Leave," Java smirked.

Jane moved over and grabbed Noelle by the arm, "Let's go home."

Java saw the kid tense up and immediately she looked up at Jane, who then let go of the kid. She watched the two of them leave, "Please be safe."

_**End of flashback**_


	25. Happy

*[i]Disclaimer: First six paragraphs are from the actual show

The next day, Ved stared at the computer monitors with Java next to him. He shook his head, seeing that the virts had gone out of control. Whoever their rivals had become in the game, became their rivals in real life. "This is not good," he muttered.

Java chuckled, marveling at the fact that Ved had failed. It especially proved that he was unfit for the job and that Noelle would have done a better job. After all, the concept of the game was her idea. "This is great," she replied with a smirk.

"Look, if this carries on, there won't be any more need for a game. Nobody else will be left to play it," he said.

"So what? It's more real this way."

Ved shot a look down at her, "Ram wanted a community he could control, Java. Not one that can control itself. He's not going to like this one bit."

Just as he was about to shut off the monitors, Java grabbed his arm and pulled him back, "Wait, I wanna see what's gonna happen."

He glared at her slightly while she chuckled a bit more. "I know what you're thinking. Noelle would've done a better job. Well she's not here, is she?" he growled.

"She may not be but at least with her, this wouldn't have been a major fail," she smirked and walked past him, brushing shoulders with him along the way. "Remember, it's your neck that's on the line, not mine. You wanted this job and you got it."

He watched her leave then went back to his work.

On her way to her room Jay stopped her. "You alright there, speedy?" he asked with a grin on his face.

Java smiled slightly, "Yeah, of course I'm fine."

"Ved hasn't been giving you trouble?"

She smirked as he grabbed her and led her to a corner of the hallway, "I think I'd be able to handle it, Jay."

He shrugged before he gave her a small kiss on the forehead, "I'm just making sure."

In all honesty, Jay did feel guilty for Noelle's departure. It was, after all, his brother that told Ram about her pregnancy. Yes, maybe Ram would have found out about her baby eventually but never like this…ever. He only heard the news out of spite and while Noelle had a big project on her hands and that was the reason why he exploded.

Jay sighed deeply before he looked back down at Java, "Do you want to go for a drink?"

"At the casino?"

He shrugged, "Yeah, why not?"

Java smiled and nodded, allowing him to lead the way to the casino now.

_**Flashback**_

Java heard the door to her room open quietly. She grew a bit apprehensive since she was already in bed and with Noelle gone, no one really came into her room. She sat up now and found Jay at her bedside. She smiled now, relieved that it was only him. "You know you're really creepy when you do that."

He grinned as well and comfortably plopped down on her bed. He snuck up next to her, extended his arms, grabbed her, and pulled her closer to him.

"You're smothering me," Java laughed.

"All the more reason to hold you tighter," he joked, squeezing his arms around her tighter. He then lay his head between her neck and shoulder. "I barely saw you today. What were you doing?"

"I was testing some stuff out for Ram…for this thing called Paradise," she replied.

"How was it?"

Java shrugged then turned around so she was face to face with Jay, "It's nothing you haven't seen before. It's just another way for Ram to live out one of his many fantasies."

"And you? Did you get to live out one of yours?"

She shook her head, "No, I didn't."

"Why not?"

"I'm just not like that. I'm not the type of person to come up with some sort of dream or fantasy. I mean, what if you make up a fantasy and suddenly realize that it's really something that you don't want? Or maybe when you come to live out this fantasy that it's not all that great? I'd rather live not having something like that. Instead, my so-called fantasy would be…something like…an unexpected event that creates a feeling of overwhelming contentment," she explained. She grinned now as she saw Jay nod along in agreement.

He stared down at her for a few moments, "Then what would you call this?"

"A fantasy," she simply replied.

_**End of flashback**_

Java stared at Jay for a few moments before she took a sip of her second cocktail, "You know, it's funny how we go way back and yet we never really got together."

Jay smirked, "Yeah. In all honesty I thought I was never your type."

She chuckled quietly as he set down her drink, "Actually I thought it was the other way around. I thought you'd never go for a girl with a kid."

"Hey, but I was there wasn't I?" he smiled.

"You're not like the other guys out there and I think that's why I like you so much. You were there when Noah wasn't and I really appreciated it."

"It's really no problem," he sighed softly, "Listen, Java, I asked you to come out here for a reason. You know…I've been thinking about it for a long time actually and…well-"

"What is it, Jay? You're beating around the bush again," Java smiled.

Jay stopped for a moment, took a breath, and finally grabbed her hand, "I want you to leave the Technos with me. I know it sounds crazy, Java, but you have to listen. Neither one of us is happy here. We can start a new life with you, me, Noelle, and Noelle's baby."

She stared at him for a few moments, just stunned by his proposal, "Jay are you crazy? I can't just pick up my things and leave…it's…it's too-"

He grinned for a moment, "Am I crazy? I don't know...maybe I am. But all I know is that I want to leave this hellhole and be with you, build a new life, and just be happy."

"I don't know what to say," she sighed.

He held her hand even tighter and looked at her with his bright blue eyes, "Just say yes."

She couldn't help that he brought a smile to her face. She finally nodded, "Yes."

Her smile soon faded once she heard Noah's voice echoing behind her. "Well what do we have here?" he asked, stumbling their way.

"No….not now," she muttered under her breath.

"Janelle and…the General…I never knew you two were quite the m…match," Noah said, his words clearly slurred. He approached Jay now and placed his hand on him. "Be careful with this one, man. She's quite the fireball. Ever wonder how…Noelle came along?"

At that moment Jay stood up and faced the drunk mess, "Why don't you get out of here, Guard?"

"Not a chance. You're here with my woman…mother of my child," he smirked.

"I'm not your woman, Noah. Just get out of here and save yourself some trouble," Java said, her temper beginning to rise.

"Janelle, shut up and get over here," Noah repled. He moved over to her and grabbed her hard by the wrist in an attempt to drag her his way.

Jay immediately pushed Noah off of her. "Don't you dare touch her," he said lowly.

Suddenly Noah pushed back and Jay finally took the initiative to punch him in the face. He grabbed the drunk by the collar now and threw him out of the casino doors. He followed him out, picked him up and punched him some more until he drew blood.

Java ran out of the casino doors, grabbed Jay by the arm, "Jay, stop."

He huffed as he stared at the man before him. "Touch her again and you're dead," he warned. He suddenly let go of him and let him fall to the ground. Jay then turned to Java, gently grabbed her by the wrist, and examined it, "He didn't hurt you did he?"

"No, he didn't," she replied. As he was about to lead her back to base, she stopped. She turned around now and moved over to Noah. She bent over and helped him up. "Noah, I just want to tell you one thing," she whispered in his ear.

She smirked now and swiftly gave him a back-hand slap across the face, "You're so goddamn full of it. There's no way I'd come crawling back to you."

With that, she let him fall to the ground once more. She moved back over to Jay and happily followed him back to base. Once they reached the entrance to Java's room, the two of them kissed. "Two days, Java, just two more days," he whispered and finally left.

"Alright," Java simply replied. _"I've got to get away. This whole…wife of a creator thing…was fun while it lasted. But think about it, Java. Do you think you could go the rest of your life catering to a temperamental, somewhat abusive husband? He is the reason why Max is dead and he even got close to killing your daughter…twice. Now what kind of husband is that? There are so many things you could be doing, yet you can't summon up the courage to do so. Well this is it; you're not going through any more of this. After these two days, you're a free woman and for once…you're going to be happy."_


	26. Gamble

It's a shame though. Java and Jay's two day plan had to turn into four months after Ram fell ill…seriously ill. Java, if she'd left, would be the scapegoat for Ram's death…if it ever came down to it. The same went for Jay. These two were the most powerful people on Ram's team and most of the Technos perceived them as power-hungry individuals because of their high rankings. Now here they were, with one foot out the door. Four months after their original plan, they were going to leave for good.

Noelle and Java walked around the streets of the virt market, both headed in the direction of the mall. "Noelle, have you chosen any names yet?" Java curiously asked as she glanced down at her daughter's growing bump.

She smiled slightly and shook her head. "Nope," she lied. Since Java didn't read Max's letter, Noelle already decided upon two names. Max for a boy and Janelle, or Janie, for a girl. It was as simple as that. "I'm curious, though. I was never really told what my full name was. Maybe someone did tell me, but perhaps I just didn't listen."

Java chuckled, slightly reluctant to tell her what her full name was. "Well you're Noelle," she said simply.

"Yes, I know that," she scoffed.

Java sighed, "Noelle Louise Laurent. You were born a Laurent, but when Jane took you, the legalities made you an Abreu."

Noelle stared at Java, "Louise? You named me Louise? Why?"

"When I went into labor I was reading Interview with a Vampire and…I don't know…I really liked the character Louis," she explained.

She smirked, "You named me after a vampire?"

Uneasily, Java shrugged, "Well, I don't know. I was also drugged up. Those were the first two names that came to mind. You should be really thankful that I didn't name you something like Lestat."

_**Flashback**_

Lying comfortably on her queen sized bed, Java thumbed through the pages of her baby name book. She'd been at it for hours and still, there was no name for the daughter she was going to have. At one point she thought that she shouldn't give the baby a name and that she'd just leave it up to the adoptive parents. But no, if there's one thing she was able to do she'd do it. And this one thing was naming her baby. Java stared down at her eight month bump and sighed deeply. "What's your name gonna be? Hailey? Ava? Tallulah…ew, sorry about that one. How about Megan? Do you like that one?"

At that moment Siva walked into Java's room with a small dish of crème brulee. "Choosing a name?" she asked and handed her the dish and a spoon.

"Yeah, wanna help me?"

Siva nodded then took a seat next to Java, "What do you have chosen so far?"

"I don't even know. I have a few names that I like but I just can't seem to find one that'll fit her personality," she explained.

"How do you know what she's going to be like if you haven't even given birth yet?"

"She's going to be a feisty one, I can already tell. At night she'll move around, kick and what not, but when I tell her to stop she just moves around even more. Or when I'm hungry, she'll let me know she's hungry too if she starts kicking again," she smiled.

Siva grinned as well but then it slowly faded, "Are you sure about this, Java? Do you really want to give her up?"

"Yes, I'm sure. She's probably going to have a better life than this. All I want for her is to be happy, safe, and better off."

She sighed uneasily as she looked back to her older sister, "Alright well you at least have to give her something to remember her parents by. Name her something…I don't know…using Janelle and Noah."

Java nodded, now thinking of some more possible names. "Jana?" she asked.

Siva shook her head, "No, sounds like you want to say Dana. What about Leah? It's the last two letters of both your names."

"Nah. That sounds like she'd be a damsel-in-distress. Besides, I have a feeling that the Jedi freaks out there would be all over her."

The younger of the two laughed quietly as she thought of something else. She smiled now and turned to Java, knowing that she'd like the next name, "Noelle."

_**End of Flashback**_

Noelle wrote down a few more names on a list and finally circled the one that said: Nema. "I like this one," she said to Java.

"How do you pronounce that?" she chuckled.

"Nee-ma."

Java tilted her head, "And this is for a girl?"

Noelle nodded in reply.

"Well what about a boy name?"

The girl smiled, "Nema."

Java sighed and shook her head, "That poor little boy."

"Okay fine. His name will be Nema Max."

"That's a little better," Java smiled but it soon faded once she saw Noelle's eyes well up with tears. "Noelle why are you crying?" she asked, allowing a small laugh to escape.

"I don't know!" Noelle replied between sobs. Java continued to giggle, until Noelle slapped her on the arm. "Stop laughing! You're not the one who gained forty pounds!" she cried.

"You're just being hormonal," she said and led Noelle towards the mall. "C'mon, let's visit Siva. I have something for you hidden at the mall."

_**Flashback**_

Protectively, he crossed his arm over her and held her close to him as his hand was up against her stomach. He gave her a kiss on the shoulder before gazing down on her. "Promise me you won't worry or stress yourself out?" he asked.

Byte smiled and turned around so that she faced him now, "Since when do I worry?"

"Since you found out you were pregnant," he smirked, "you've been worried whether or not you're doing something right…and if the baby's going to be alright."

"So? It's normal to do that stuff," she defensively said.

Max laughed and shook his head, "I looked in your room the other day and you had the entire thing baby proofed."

"I'm just being prepared," she grinned.

"You're only two months along," he chuckled some more. He then grazed his hand over her, "Don't worry so much, baby. Everything's going to be fine…he's going to be fine."

"He? Who's he?"

"Our baby."

Byte scoffed, "What makes you so sure that it's a boy?"

"Oh I know it's a boy. You've been so grumpy and it seems like you've got all the energy sucked out of you…and all day it seems like all you want to do is sleep," he explained, "Tell tale signs that it's a boy."

"Yeah, alright," she laughed, still in disbelief.

Max rubbed his hand over her stomach as he gazed down at it, "Drive your mother nuts and she'll love you even more."

_**End of Flashback**_

"Hey, Siv," Noelle greeted, quickly wiping her tears away as she entered her aunt's room in the mall.

"Hey, kid," she smiled, "you're getting so big!"

She sighed deeply and tried to smile about it, "I know…"

"Don't worry, it looks cute on you," she said reassuringly as she looked over to Java, wondering if Noelle had been upset just moments before.

Java nodded in agreement, "Yeah, kid, and once that baby's born….you're going to need to keep some of that baby weight. It will make you look less…uh…skinny."

Noelle looked at both her mother and aunt and finally nodded, "Okay, just as long as I can afford some of the weight I'll be fine."

"Exactly," Siva nodded along.

Java moved next to her daughter then sat her down, "So, I had something I wanted to give you." She brought out a baby blue box tied with purple ribbon. "Now I know purple isn't the most masculine color, but I think it can go either way," she said as she watched Noelle open the present.

Noelle grinned as she brought out a purple blanket and onesie. "I love it," she smiled, hugging her mother tightly.

"I knew you would," Java replied.

Siva grinned while she held Alexis. "See, you're Auntie Janie isn't so bad," she teased.

Java scoffed, "Very funny, Siv. Anyway, I thought I'd come right out and say this. Noelle, do you even know if you're having a boy or girl? I'd really like to know…Mega and I are in a bet. Siv, you can join in too."

Noelle's jaw dropped as she shook her head, "You guys are horrible!"

"It's only a bit of fun," Siva finally replied, "I bet she'll have a girl."

Noelle, with her mouth still agape, slapped Java on the arm, "You're making money off me?"

"Technically not, kid. Whoever guesses the right gender gets unlimited drinks and chips at the casino for a week," Java laughed. "Okay, Jay, Damien and Siva think she'll have a girl and Mega and I think she'll have a boy."

"Wait, Jay's in on it too?" the girl asked.

"Yep. Siv, you should ask Lex if he wants in-"

"No you shouldn't!" Noelle defensively said.

"What's going on in here?" Lex asked as he walked through the entrance to the room.

"We're placing bets on the sex of Noelle's baby," Java replied.

He sighed for a moment and crossed his arms. He stared at Noelle up and down, placed his hands on her belly and finally nodded, "Boy."

Noelle looked back to Java and Siva uneasily, "Is that even allowed?"

"Yep," one of them replied.

Siva paused for a moment, "Wait, Noelle, I think you can join in too since you don't know either."

At that moment Noelle finally eased up and smiled slightly, "Okay, sounds good. I'm gonna have to say that the baby will be a boy."

Later that night as Noelle went back to her shack in the middle of nowhere, Damien joined her. While the two did some catching up, Java and Jay were just about ready to leave their so-called home. "Are you ready to go?" Jay asked. He slipped off his communicator and then his phaser, only leaving Java with her own. Damien, just hours before, had tweaked Java's headset and phaser to not only disable the location device but also tweaked it so she would only be able to communicate with the headset she'd given to Noelle.

Jay looked around the corner of the hall, shut the door and squeezed through the open window. He motioned for Java to do the same, which she did without his help.

"You said our stuff was packed in the crates? Where are they?" she whispered as she jogged behind Jay swiftly out of the Techno grounds.

"They were delivered to the virt hospital as medical supplies," he replied. Suddenly he grabbed her by the hand and pushed her into a corner where the guards couldn't see her.

After the coast was clear, he led her to the safety of the city. Once they were there, the two dropped by the virt hospital and grabbed their belongings. Both of them, stripped of their Techno uniforms, had changed to new and more comfortable "virt apparel".

Jay kept it simple with his outfit, wearing a black jacket with bright green accents. Inside he wore a light grey t-shirt with line graphics. For his pants, he stuck to dark indigo wash jeans. However he did keep the Techno boots, which he didn't even bother to tuck the pants into.

Java on the other hand wore something a bit more daring. She was now dressed in a slim fitting black dress with light purple straps and accents on the neckline. On top of the dress, she wore a silver trench coat which she kept open. Of course that wasn't all that she was wearing. She also had on opaque black leggings and some purple suede boots that reached just below her knee.

Back at Noelle's shack, she and Damien The two did some catching up for a couple hours until Damien realized that he needed to tell her what he was really feeling. "Noelle, please…just listen to me," Damien muttered as he grabbed her hand gently. He sighed deeply then leaned against the wooden walls of the shack. "I can't leave without telling you something."

She smiled slightly, "Why? It's not like you're not going to visit some other time."

"I know…I can't wait until then," he replied. He rubbed his forehead, trying to think of the right words to say to her. he gave her hand a squeeze and eyed the ring on her finger for a moment. "Noelle don't be mad at me, okay? Promise me you won't get mad."

She shrugged, "Okay, fine I won't get mad."

He stared down at her with his heart racing, "Noelle, I love you."

She also stared back at him, though for her it was in disbelief. She shook her head, "You can't…love me. I'm not the person who you think I am. Damien, I'm not just some single girl out there-"

"I know you're not some single girl out there. I know you're pregnant and I know you had somebody you loved so much. But I don't care about that, Noelle. I don't care if you're a virt or a Techno, rich or poor…all I care about is you. You don't have to feel the same way about me, Noelle, but one way or another I'm going to keep loving you and try to make you happy again. I don't care if I have to run barefoot across hot coals, or survive a vicious dog attack, all I know is that I'd do anything…just for you," he explained. He gazed at her once more and wrapped his arms around her waist. Suddenly he gently placed his hand over her growing bump and looked at her reassuringly. "Now I know that this little guy or girl isn't mine. But trust me; I'll treat him as if he was my own."

Noelle sighed deeply, "I've heard that many times before…in my own childhood. How do I know that you won't just leave?"

"Just trust me on this one…you have my word," he replied.

She looked up at him now, more scared than ever to reply to him. But somehow someway she summoned up the courage to do so. "I'm giving you one chance, Damien," she finally said.

He grinned from ear to ear and nodded, "That's all I need."

He then pulled her closer to him, near the window now. "I just wanted to try one thing," he muttered quietly. Damien still held her tightly and finally kissed her gently on the lips. Soon enough, it had gotten late and Noelle was quick to fall asleep. He stayed behind, just holding the sleeping girl as she slept. But after an hour or two passed, he too fell asleep.

Java suddenly knocked quietly on the shack door, "Noelle, answer the door."

After she didn't hear a response, she simply opened the door herself. What she saw next simply put a smile on her face. She saw her daughter sound asleep against Damien's chest. She walked in quietly and knelt down next to the cot, "Noelle, wake up."

She stirred for a few moments before she finally opened her eyes, "What…what are you doing here?"

Java grinned once more, "I'm not a Techno anymore."

Jay finally walked in with all of their belongings. They consisted of one suitcase for himself and about four for Java.

Noelle sat up and smiled, "Really?"

"Yeah, crazy huh?" Java smirked as she saw Damien wake up.

Noelle stood up now and chuckled slightly, "And where are you two going to stay?"

"Here…only for a couple nights until we find another place…a bigger place," Java replied.

The girl nodded, "Set your stuff down anywhere, sleep anywhere, just let me sleep."

Jay set down their belongings then moved next to Noelle. He looked over to Damien suspiciously and motioned for him to move away from the young girl. Once he moved, he led him outside. "Damien, what are you doing?" he asked sternly.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"Don't play dumb with me, Lieutenant. She already has someone-"

"But he isn't here, is he?"

Jay shook his head, "That isn't a reason for you to come in here and act as a replacement."

"I'm not acting as a replacement, Jay. I'm being completely honest here. I really have feelings for her," Damien explained.

Jay suddenly grabbed him by his Techno shirt and stared down at him, "If you ever hurt her, Damien, I swear…you're answering to me."

_**Flashback**_

"You. What the hell do you think you're doing with my girl?" Max asked fiercely, hastily coming toward him.

"Your girl?" Damien scoffed, "I haven't done anything with her."

"I saw you, Damien. I saw you and her on the monitors…and you two were standing right in front of my room."

"Oh, that. Well that really wasn't anything, just ask her," he smirked.

"You know she's mine, Damien. So what are you doing trying to flirt with her?"

"What are you, paranoid? I'm not trying to do anything," he smirked.

Max clenched his fists, trying his best to contain his anger. "If you ever touch her, you're dead," he growled.

"Yeah? You're the one who's gone, remember?" he smiled.

Suddenly, Max grabbed him by the collar and slammed him against the wall. "Shut up, Damien!" he yelled, "She's having my child, so don't even try."

"Oh, so you're the one who knocked her up?" he smirked, pushing Max off him.

That's when Max's fist met Damien's face. He wrestled Damien to the ground and punched him some more but struggled to keep him on the ground.

The two fought intensely for several moments until Jay and Mega ran over and separated the two. Jay struggled to keep Max from charging at Damien but somehow managed. "You touch her and I'll kill you!" Max yelled furiously.

"Max, let's go," Jay said calmly, pulling the guy away.

Damien wiped the small drop of blood from his lip and smirked, "We'll just see about that."

"None of this is going back to Byte, you hear me?"Mega said loudly. "I don't want my sister stressed out about some piece of shit fight and both of you know damn well that she could lose the baby."

As Jay led Max back towards the work room, the guy stopped him, "You alright there, Max?"

He shook his head and sighed deeply. He turned around now and looked at Jay, "I need to ask you one favor."

"What would that be?"

"Would you please watch over Noelle when I'm gone? I can't and won't trust Damien around her," he said.

Jay nodded, "You've got it."

_**End of Flashback**_

The next morning, Java awoke earlier than the rest of them. She nudged Jay, who was sleeping on the ground, and rested her head on his chest. "Wake up, honey," she whispered.

Jay stirred slightly, wrapping his arms around her even tighter. "I'm awake," he said quietly with his eyes still shut.

She smiled slightly. "C'mon, let's go get some food," she said, beginning to stand up.

Noelle woke up as well and looked over to her mother, "Where are you off to?"

"The market and maybe do some exploring. Jay and I will be back in a couple hours, okay?" she said as Jay got up.

Noelle nodded then finally went back to sleep. Java moved over and kissed her daughter on the forehead. "See ya later, kiddo," she muttered as she began to leave.

_**Flashback/Dream**_

Max sighed as he rested his head right next to Noelle's stomach. He gazed at it for a moment before he began to speak. "If you can choose…could you please get her eyes? If not, that's okay. Also, be good to your mom, be kind to those around you, play lots of sports," he paused for a moment, "take up soccer, like I did. When you find a girlfriend, be very…very good to her too. Treat her right, son. Treat her as if you'd give anything to be with her. Actually…give anything to be with her. Every second counts, always remember that. Time shapes us, our decisions, our memories are all made in time. Then when we look back, we remember who we have become…through remembrances."

Max rubbed his hand over Noelle's stomach and smiled slightly, "Goodnight." He then inched back up to her before giving her a kiss on the cheek. What he didn't realize is that Noelle had been listening the entire time.

_**End of Flashback**_

Noelle's eyes suddenly shot open. She sighed deeply before she turned to Damien and shook him slightly, "Damien…Damien wake up."

He opened his eyes slowly, "What, what is it?"

She shook her head, before she painfully spoke, "I think the baby's coming."


	27. Baby

Java stared at the old suburban neighborhood before her, remembering exactly what it looked like before the virus. It now looked like a tornado had flown through it. Most of the houses lacked windows and doors, and were tagged with graffiti. She walked up to a brick house and entered through what used to be the front door. She stepped slowly on to the cracked marble floor before she took another look around the house. "The place sure has changed," she muttered.

Jay shrugged, "It just needs a little bit of cleaning up. Before you know it, it'll be as good as new."

"You think Noelle will like it here?" she asked.

"Of course she will. It was your house…or it still is your house," he replied.

Java nodded then grinned, "I want this entire place to have a new paint job."

Jay sighed, "Oh gosh, you're going to make all of the rooms purple."

She scoffed, "Not _all _of them."

He wrapped his arms around her and sighed softly, "Gosh…if walls could talk."

_**Flashback**_

Java lunged straight at Ebony, going straight for the jugular. At age sixteen, the girl had a lot of power. "I hate you! Look what you did to my shirt!" she yelled, bringing her down to the floor.

Ebony wrestled her older sister off of her and at that moment, punches and slaps were thrown between the two girls. "You deserved it!" she yelled back.

The two continued to fight with no inhibitions. At one point, Java had even bitten Ebony on the arm and pulled out a braid or two. Of course, Ebony couldn't do very much but defend herself. Her sister was a lot bigger than her and therefore a lot stronger.

Suddenly, Daniel ran over to the two girls to separate them, "Janie, Ebony…stop it!"

Java didn't hold back any punches. "You knew it was my favorite shirt!" she yelled.

"Who cares if it was your favorite!" Ebony lunged at Java again and managed to get her on her back.

Daniel struggled to keep the girls from killing each other and when he was about to pry Ebony off her sister he suddenly felt someone's foot kick his crotch, causing instant pain. "My favorite place," he gasped.

_**End of flashback**_

She turned and kissed Jay on the cheek, "Well, it _is_ our old neighborhood. There are so many memories here."

"Just think of all the new ones we'll make," he grinned.

She chuckled before she turned around to face him, "Do you remember all the times you made me mad? You just couldn't stop teasing me about Noah."

"Yeah," he blushed, "It's only because-"

"You liked me so much?" Java raised a brow. "It's really cute now that I think about it."

_**Flashback**_

"Why do you like this guy so much, Janelle? He's such a jerk," Jay said and sat on the brown leather couch in his house.

"You don't know him like I do. Besides, you're not the one who's going out on a date with him," she replied.

Jay stared at her, a little bit hurt that she was going to go out with a guy that he didn't like one bit. Noah was pretty wealthy, the star soccer player, and had the ability to pick and choose any girl he wanted and then dumped them off after he got what he wanted. He knew all of this since he was also a soccer player, a pretty good one at that, except the coach never saw it since he always put Noah in instead of him. [i]_"Forget it, Jay. She's not gonna go for you,"[/i] _he thought bitterly. "Alright whatever, Java," he sighed.

She jerked her head back, "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothin," Jay shook his head.

"Fine then-"

"It's just that he's a jerk. You don't know him like I do. He'll pick any girl he wants, use them, and dump them off as if they're yesterday's trash," he explained.

"No, he wouldn't do that-"

"Why wouldn't he? You're being so naïve. He'll dump you and then what? You're going to end up hurt like all the other girls," Jay said. But before he knew it, Java angrily stormed off. "Java, wait."

"No!" she yelled back, already halfway out the door.

Jay sighed and rubbed his forehead, "Dammit, Jay, you big dork."

He suddenly looked down at the coffee table and saw that Java had left her keys. He grabbed them then ran out of the house, "Java-"

He saw that she already made it a quarter of the way to her house. He sighed deeply and opened the door to Java's black SUV. He drove slowly up to her with the window rolled down. "Hey! Aren't you forgetting something?" he asked with a slight smile.

Java looked back at him, now noticing her car. She sighed deeply, "Shut up!"

"But what are you going to do about your car?" he asked with a laugh.

"Freakin a!" she exclaimed. She let her hands fall to her sides and stormed over to the passenger side, "Fine! Drive me back home."

Jay laughed quietly as he began to drive her back in her car. All of a sudden, he felt a slap on his arm. "What?" he asked, chuckling.

"It's not funny!" Java said angrily, causing Jay to laugh even more.

_**End of flashback**_

After a couple hours, Damien grazed his hand over her belly, "On a scale of one to ten, how much did that one hurt?"

"Five," she replied nonchalantly. She turned to him, calmly now, "Alright, you know what you can do? Find Java and Jay."

"No, I can't leave you here alone," he said to her firmly.

"Well what do you suppose we do? Wait for them to," she stopped and inhaled deeply as another contraction tore through her. She gripped Damien's hand suddenly and squeezed it- hard.

Damien didn't mind it much. He'd gotten his hand squeezed harder than that before. He gazed down at her, "Breathe, Noelle, breathe. See, there's no way I'm letting you-"

"Shut up," Noelle choked out painfully, her eyes watering a bit. "Go! Go find my mom!"

Reluctantly, he got up, "Are you sure about this, Noelle?"

"Yes! Please, just go."

Damien sighed deeply, looked around the room and finally kissed her on the forehead. "I'll be back in an hour," he said and left.

After a few hours, Noelle decided to lie on her bed. She breathed deeply, unsure of how much longer she could last. She gripped the side of the bed as her knuckles turned ghost white. No matter what she did, the pain just got worse and worse for the next minute or so. When the pain somewhat subsided she just laid there, somewhat delirious from the contractions that came about every eight minutes.

She inhaled deeply then exhaled but stopped short once she heard the door creak. "Damien?" she called out only to receive no reply but the sound of heavy footsteps coming closer to her. "Damien is that you?"

"No, it isn't," she heard someone say.

She grew slightly scared. Since it wasn't Damien, and he certainly didn't sound like Jay, then who was it?

He stepped forward and opened the door. He stopped midway through the doorframe once he saw the girl, just writhing in agony. "Excuse me, miss? Are you alright?" he asked, staring at her with his dark brown eyes.

"No," she replied quietly. She watched the man approach her slowly and she curled up, pushing herself away from him. "W…what do you want?"

"I'm not going to hurt you," he said reassuringly in a deep accent. "My name's Slade. I came here because I thought this would be a place for me to stay for the night. Anyway, what's your name?"

"Noelle."

His eyes widened as he set his red leather jacket down on the ground. "Noelle? Noelle, it's me…it's Ron," he grinned. He couldn't believe his eyes. It was his younger sister…the sister he hadn't seen for years. "My god, look how much you've grown up," he muttered in amazement.

"Ron?" she smiled.

"Yes, yes it's me," he replied.

"Do you know where my mom might be?" she asked deliriously, "She said she'd be here."

Slade shook his head, "No, I'm sorry. But your mom? Jane's gone, love."

"N…no. My real mom…Java," she replied.

He was taken aback as he heard the name of the girl's real mother. "Java," he smirked, "I knew it."

Meanwhile, Java and Jay strolled through the virt market casually. Java began to look at some jewelry with Jay behind her and suddenly she paused. She took a short breath and turned around, feeling as if something was wrong.

"You alright there?" Jay asked.

"Yeah," Java replied uneasily. She turned around suddenly and looked up at Jay, "You think Noelle's okay?"

"Why wouldn't she be?" he shrugged.

"I…I don't know…the kid's about ready to pop. I think I should be there."

"Java, you worry too much. Noelle's going to be fine…" he trailed off. "Now that I think of it, I think we should go back."

"See? What got you worried?"

Jay sighed deeply as he grabbed her hand, "Damien. I don't trust him with her."

"He's not that bad, Jay. He said-"

"What makes you so sure, Java? I never told you this but right before Max left, he and Damien got into a huge fight over her. Max told me to watch over her and make sure he didn't come near her. I just don't know about him."

Java sighed deeply and looked up to Jay, "He's willing to be with a girl who has a baby. Now doesn't that seem awfully familiar?"

"Sure, but even before then he was all over her….while she and Max were together. I think he's just going to-"

"Java! Jay! Hey!" Damien shouted, his voice cracking in between. "Please, you have to come…it's Noelle."

"What? Is the baby coming or something?" Jay asked.

"Yes," he said, completely out of breath. "I've been looking for you two for the past three hours. I told her I'd be back in an hour but I ended up getting lost. Come on! We have to go!"

The three of them ran off in the direction of the shack. Two and a half miles later, the three entered the shack. However all of them, in their panic, forgot there was only one door and three of them. The three tried to squeeze past the other and ended up getting stuck.

"Where the hell have you guys been?" Noelle called out.

"Sorry!" Java said, squeezing herself past the boys. "We're here now and-"

Slade looked over to Java and smiled, "Hey, Java."

"Hello, Ron. How did you manage to find Noelle?"

"Well you see, I-"

"Are we really gonna go through this? I'm enjoying the family reunion but come on!" Noelle said in agony.

"Kid, you alright there?" Java asked as she took a seat next to her.

Noelle looked over at her with her forehead just glistening with perspiration, "Does it look like I am?I'm just fan-fucking-tastic!"

"Okay, I'm letting your attitude slide this time," Java smirked. "C'mon, Noelle, just breathe."

"I've been breathing! You don't even know-"

"Oh yes, I do," she laughed.

Noelle sighed deeply and laid her head back down on her pillow, wanting to cry badly. "Talk to me, I need a distraction," she said quietly.

"Okay…um…well-"

"Hurry!" Noelle yelled

"I'm trying!" Java yelled back in panic.

"I'm starting to see why Siva yelled at you now," she sighed.

"Hey!" she snapped back and pointed a finger at her daughter. She couldn't think of anything to say, so instead she just gave her a glare and a point.

Noelle laughed slightly, "What the hell's that supposed to do? Shut me up?"

"Yes, temporarily. You're starting to scare me, Noelle. You're like the girl from The Exorcist." Java replied defensively.

"So if I point at you, would you shut up?"

Java scoffed but didn't really say anything afterward. "Oh, whatever, Noelle," she said after a few seconds.

"Please…just keep talking to me."

"Why should I? You're only going to yell at me."

"Come on, you big baby. You're not the one who's in labor," Noelle replied.

"Alright, alright, alright," Java sighed, "you remember the old neighborhood we used to live in? Well Jay and I found it this morning…and…you know it's better than living in an old shack. Maybe you, the baby, me, Jay, and maybe Damien relocate there?"

"I…um…I don't know," Noelle replied uneasily.

"Why? What's the matter?" Java asked. After she received a shrug from her daughter, she figured out the reason behind the girl's uneasiness. Noelle was afraid of going back to her old house, the one that she lived in with Jane. "Don't worry, we're all going to stay at my old house. If it makes you feel better, it doesn't look anything like it used to."

"Okay, that's fine," she replied.

Jay came over now and sat next to Java, "So…Nema, huh?"

Noelle smirked and nodded. Once Java had been distracted by Slade and turned around, Noelle shook her head. "No way!" she mouthed to Jay.

Jay chuckled, "Alright, well…I guess Nema's a cool name. If you rearrange a couple of the letters it makes 'name.'"

_**Flashback**_

"So, Max…you're going to have a little boy?" Jay said to the young man.

Max smirked as he ran his hand through his hair, "Uh…sure."

Jay sighed as he pat Max on the shoulder, "I can see that you're nervous. Don't be, you're going to have Noelle with you and I'm sure the both of you will make great parents."

"Me? Nervous?" he smiled. "No, Jay, I'm actually uneasy about having a little boy."

"What? What do you mean you're uneasy? I thought you wanted a boy," he said.

"I told Noelle that I thought the baby was going to be a boy because I actually think it's gonna be a girl," he grinned. "I didn't want to jinx anything, so I told her a lie. I want a little girl, actually."

Jay laughed and shook his head, "Dammit! You know you even have Java thinking that she'll have a boy?"

"So? Since when did my opinion count? Besides, who actually knows if she's going to have a boy or girl?" Max chuckled.

"Well, for one…since you've persuaded Noelle, she's persuaded Java. She even told her to look at your side of the family. She said that you have two brothers and that maybe the male allele is dominant. She got all scientific on her mom," Jay said, still laughing.

"But if you look at Noelle's side of the family, it's dominated by females," Max said as he raised a brow.

"That's true," he shrugged. "So why a little girl? Why do you want a little girl running around?"

Max shrugged, "I don't know. I saw how little boys act when they're raised…hell, I was one of them…and I just think a little boy would be too rambunctious. And, I'd want our baby looking more like Noelle than me. Besides, don't you think Java would have one hell of a time dressing up a little girl and spoiling her more? Come on, you could only buy a little boy so much. Don't you agree, Grandpa Jay?"

Jay shot a glare back at the boy, "Don't ever call me that again."

_**End of flashback**_

"I can't do it anymore!" Noelle cried.

"Yes you can, yes you can, Noelle," Damien said reassuringly.

He took her hand but she suddenly slapped his away.

"Don't touch me!" she snapped.

Damien fearfully looked over at Java, who simply smiled.

"Noelle, you have to do it. You only have one more push to go," Java finally said.

"Fuck! Really?" Noelle sighed.

Java nodded, "Yes, 'fuck really.'"

Noelle glared at her mother and suddenly pointed at her, utilizing Java's point and glare technique. It didn't work because Java ended up laughing at her, "Not funny! Goddamn, why couldn't it be you this time around?"

Java's jaw dropped, surprised that her daughter repeated same thing Siva said when she was in labor. "Alright thanks, Siva," she joked.

"I just want this baby out of me!" she cried.

"Alright, you're gonna have to push," Ron said then nodded to her, "Now."

Noelle did as she was told and pushed for as long as she could. She heard a person count down from ten to one but she couldn't make out who the person was. But after those ten agonizing seconds her baby was born. She saw the newborn in the arms of Ron but there was something wrong….seriously wrong. She could tell by his frown and the complete silence that filled the room. No crying, no whining, nothing. "What's wrong? Why isn't he crying?" she asked.

"Hang on for a moment, Noelle," he replied quietly. He stared at the baby for a moment, turned it on its belly and rubbed its back.

Noelle looked over to Java, quite scared that her baby wasn't crying.

Java held on to her daughter's hand and nodded to her reassuringly. "Everything's going to be fine, Noelle," she muttered quietly.

Ron furrowed his eyebrows as he concentrated deeply, massaging the baby's back to create warmth. Then he smirked once he saw it wriggle around. "Come on, you've got it," he whispered to the young one.

The baby moved around in his arms but couldn't make noise. That soon changed when "SLAP!" Ron slapped the baby's bum, causing it to cry out loudly. He smiled now and nodded to it, "You're going to be fine."

Noelle and the others breathed a sigh of relief, "Oh thank god he's alright."

Ron nodded, "That's where you're wrong."

"What? What do you mean?" Java asked.

Ron looked back at Jay and showed him the baby, causing him to laugh. "Noelle, you have a little girl and [i]_she's[/i] _going to be just fine," Ron said and handed her the baby, who was wrapped up in a purple blanket.

Noelle's jaw dropped and then she grinned once she held her daughter for the first time, "Well hello there. You're one hell of a kid, you know that?"

Java smiled, "She's your little Nema, Noelle."

The girl shook her head, "No, she isn't."

"Then what is she?"

Noelle gazed down at the baby and grinned, "She's my little Janie."


End file.
